19 more people die from COVID-19 in B.C. as hospitalizations continue to fall

Another 19 people in B.C. have died of COVID-19 within the last 24 hours, health officials reported Friday.

The province also recorded 946 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Friday, including 139 in intensive care, and 1,799 new cases. Hospitalizations are now at their lowest level in two weeks.

The new numbers represent a decrease of 39 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 4.4 per cent from last Friday, when 990 people were in hospital with the disease.

Due to a data reporting change introduced Jan. 14, month-to-month hospitalization comparisons won't be available again until Feb. 14.

The number of patients in intensive care is down slightly from 141 a week ago and up nearly 64 per cent from a month ago when 86 people were in the ICU.

Experts say hospitalizations are a more accurate barometer of the disease's impact, as new case numbers in B.C. are likely much higher than reported, now that the province has hit its testing limit because of the Omicron surge.

The province's seven-day average for case positivity is 20.5 per cent, according to the province's COVID-19 dashboard. 

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has said that anything above a five per cent test-positivity rate indicates a concerning level of community transmission.

There are currently 25,479 recorded active cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus in B.C.

The provincial death toll from COVID-19 is now 2,675 lives lost out of 330,942 confirmed cases to date.

There are a total of 58 active outbreaks in assisted living, long-term, and acute care facilities.