B.C. reports 13 fewer people in hospital with COVID-19, 6 fewer in the ICU and 12 more deaths
Hospitalizations fall to 599 from 612
B.C. health officials reported 599 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Friday, including 96 in intensive care, as the province recorded 12 more deaths from the disease and 583 new cases.
The new numbers represent a decrease of 13 COVID-19 patients hospitalized within the last 24 hours, including six fewer patients in the ICU.
Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are down by 18.3 per cent from last Friday, when 733 people were in hospital with the disease and down about 39 per cent from a month ago when 985 people were in hospital.
Deaths also lag cases, with higher numbers a reflection of Omicron's surge last month.
The number of patients in intensive care is down by about 15 per cent from 113 a week ago and down by 33.3 per cent from a month ago when 144 people were in the ICU.
As of Friday, 9.1 per cent of COVID-19 tests in B.C. are coming back positive, according to the province's COVID-19 dashboard. The number had been above 20 per cent though most of January but began to fall this month, along with hospitalizations.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has said that anything above a five per cent test-positivity rate is an indicator of community transmission.
Free rapid antigen tests will be available in B.C. pharmacies starting Friday. Only people over the age of 70 will be able to access them at first. Our <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCLarsen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBCLarsen</a> tells us more about the announcement. <a href="https://t.co/Rt8wQWIUr7">pic.twitter.com/Rt8wQWIUr7</a>
—@cbcnewsbcThe provincial death toll from COVID-19 is now 2,851 lives lost out of 347,376 confirmed cases to date.
There are a total of 27 active outbreaks in assisted living, long-term, and acute care facilities.
Acute care outbreaks include:
- Burnaby Hospital.
- Langley Memorial Hospital.
As of Friday, 90.6 per cent of those five and older in B.C. had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 86.1 per cent a second dose.
From Feb. 17 to 23, people who were not fully vaccinated accounted for 20.7 per cent of cases and from Feb. 10 to 23, they accounted for 33.7 per cent of hospitalizations, according to the province.
A total of 2.5 million people have received a booster shot to date.
Nearly $2M in COVID-19 tickets
Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, officials in B.C. have issued almost $2 million in provincial COVID-19 tickets. But new data from ICBC reveals a little less than $400,000 of those fines have been paid.
The updated data from the insurance corporation, which is tasked with collecting the fines, show many tickets were withdrawn, some remain disputed, but more than $600,000 is outstanding.
Asked about the low rate of COVID-19 fine payment in the province on Thursday, Solicitor General and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth insisted there will be repercussions for people who violated public health orders.
"Those tickets will be paid. It may take a little time, but they will be paid," said Farnworth, adding that fines will be sent to a collections agency after 30 days if they haven't been disputed, and any outstanding fines will have to be paid when renewing ICBC insurance or a driver's licence.
ICBC may take other measures to collect payment once a ticket is in collections, including wage and asset garnishment, placement of liens on property, and trying to seize personal assets through the courts.
According to ICBC, as of Feb. 12, 2,724 provincial tickets have been issued, 736 of which have been paid.