B.C. adds 753 new COVID-19 cases; Omicron count triples again

B.C. added 753 new cases of COVID-19 to its total on Thursday, the highest daily increase since late October.

B.C. added 753 new cases of COVID-19 to its total on Thursday, the highest daily increase since late October.

The latest cases bring B.C.'s rolling seven-day average for new cases to 489, the highest it's been since mid-November.

The province also added three more deaths on Thursday, according to a written statement from the Ministry of Health.

Since the pandemic began, B.C. has seen 224,998 confirmed COVID-19 infections and 2,396 deaths.

There are currently 3,878 active cases of the coronavirus in the province. That total includes 184 infectious patients in hospital, 70 of whom are in intensive care units.

The sharp uptick in infections in B.C. in recent days comes as governments across Canada and around the world grapple with the concerning new Omicron variant.

In Thursday's update, the ministry said there are now 135 confirmed Omicron cases in B.C., more than triple the 44 that had been confirmed as of Tuesday.