B.C. COVID-19 data: Number in hospital triples in a month

The number of COVID-positive patients in B.C. hospitals has more than tripled in the last month, according to the latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

The number of COVID-positive patients in B.C. hospitals has more than tripled in the last month, according to the latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

As of Thursday, there were 241 test-positive patients in hospitals around the province, up from a two-year low of just 76 at the start of August.

Thursday's total is the highest since May 4, when the BCCDC reported 268 people in hospital with COVID-19.

The latest update comes after the province became the first in Canada to identify a local case of the BA.2.86 variant, which has some mutations that "raise an eyebrow," according to Dr. Isaac Bogoch, a Toronto-based infectious disease expert, who spoke to CTVNews.ca about the variant. 

Thursday's data also follows a surge in SARS-CoV-2 concentrations in B.C. wastewater, monitoring data for which is still published weekly. 

In its notes on the latest numbers, the BCCDC says no additional samples of the BA.2.86 variant have been found in the province's whole genome sequencing.