B.C. health officials reported 97 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, as the number of people in hospital with the disease caused by the coronavirus has nearly doubled in the span of a week.
Sixty-three people are in hospital — the highest total since May 12, a government statement said. A week earlier, there had been only 32 patients.
Twenty of those 63 patients are in intensive care, a number that has doubled since Friday.
Another 3,001 people across the province were self-isolating due to potential exposure to the virus.
Meanwhile, the province reported no new COVID-19 deaths — just one day after reporting six new fatalities, including the first in the Northern Health region since the pandemic began.
B.C.’s COVID-19 death toll stands at 219.
Tuesday also marked the first time since Aug. 27 that the province recorded back-to-back days with fewer than 100 new cases.
Health Minister Adrian Dix said Tuesday he would review notification guidelines on COVID-19 cases in schools, after the disease was confirmed at three Metro Vancouver high schools recently.
On Tuesday, the B.C. government once again extended the provincial state of emergency, which will now remain in place until the end of the day on Sept. 29.