Concern growing as more young people in B.C. being hospitalized with COVID-19

Health officials are growing concerned about the number of young people being hospitalized with COVID-19.

An increasing number of people in their 30s around the province are being admitted to the hospital, and even the ICU.

1:27 Concern over COVID-19 variant cases in younger age groups in B.C.

B.C.’s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the biggest issue is COVID spreading through crowded workplaces and households.

Since young people are not eligible to receive the vaccine for some time, Henry said they remain at a greater risk for contracting the virus.

6:19 B.C. reports 1,785 new COVID-19 cases and 16 deaths over three days

“It’s still, of course, is riskier the older you are,” Henry said Monday. “But as we are protecting more and more older people, we’re also seeing risk in younger people, and younger people are ending up in the ICU and needing ICU care for a longer period of time.”

Henry also announced Monday that they are looking to bolster vaccinations in Surrey, the region hardest hit by COVID-19.

“We’re looking at a whole bunch of things around the communities where risk is highest and Surrey is the highest in the province,” Henry said.

“We are looking at several different strategies, including immunization of people in the education system, but also targeting businesses and some of the communities.”

2:29 Health Minister Adrian Dix reminds British Columbians not to gather indoors

B.C. recorded 1,785 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend, along with 16 deaths.

There were 556 cases from Friday to Saturday, while 598 cases were reported from Saturday to Sunday, and 631 from Sunday to Monday.

The province reported 166 new cases linked to COVID-19 variants of concern. A total of 1,366 variant cases have been reported in B.C., of which 237 are active.

-With files from Jon Azpiri