B.C. reports 1 more COVID-19 death as hospitalizations dip again

One more person in British Columbia has died due to complications from COVID-19, health officials said Tuesday.

The death brings the province’s total since the pandemic began over two years ago to 2,990 people.

Hospitalizations fell once again, with 273 patients currently receiving care compared to 288 on Monday, which marked a jump from Friday.

Of those 273 patients, 46 were in intensive care, down two from Monday.

The province also reported 287 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases, but warned the numbers were provisional due to a data refresh.

The cases were spread relatively evenly among the province’s health authorities except for Northern Health, which saw 21 of the cases. Fraser Health saw the most cases with 75, followed by 67 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 63 in Island Health and 61 in Interior Health.

Health officials reported one new health-care facility outbreak at the Ayre Manor long-term care facility in Island Health. Five other long-term care facilities in Island Health are also seeing outbreaks, as is Surrey Memorial Hospital.

According to the province, 90.8 per cent of eligible British Columbians aged five and over have received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose, while 87.3 per cent have received two.

Just over 57 per cent of eligible people over age 12 have received their third dose.

Those numbers were virtually unchanged from Monday.