Six additional COVID-related deaths have been reported in the Island Health region, bringing the total to date to 177.
The deaths were among 18 in the province Wednesday. A total of 2,643 people in B.C. are known to have died with COVID-19.
The number of people in British Columbia hospitals for treatment of COVID-19 fell from 1,035 on Tuesday to 988 on Wednesday, with 136 of those patients in intensive care units. There are 120 people in hospital with COVID-19 in Island Health, including eight in ICUs.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said this week hospitalizations appear to have peaked after case counts began to fall a few weeks ago.
There have been no new health facility outbreaks, while one has been declared over, for a total of 54 seniors’ residences and acute care centres with ongoing outbreaks.
On Tuesday, Island Health said outbreaks had been declared over at Royal Jubilee Hospital (six resident cases and one staff case), Mount St. Mary Hospital long-term care home in Victoria (two residents, two staff) and Comox Valley Seniors Village long-term care home in Courtenay (nine resident, two staff).
New outbreaks were announced at Berwick on the Lake in Nanaimo, where two residents in the long-term care unit have tested positive, and Tsawaayuus Rainbow Gardens long-term care home in Port Alberni. One resident case has been identified.
Another 1,776 people have tested positive for COVID-19, but because of limited testing, provincial officials have said that figure is expected to be much larger.
Of the new confirmed cases, 222 were in Island Health, which has 1,593 known active cases of COVID-19.
Just over 90 per cent of those eligible aged 12 and older have had two shots of a vaccine, while 47 per cent of those have had a booster dose.
— With a file from The Canadian Press
