B.C. records highest number of new COVID-19 cases at 1,308 as officials warn exposure for most is 'inevitable'
CBC
B.C. health officials announced 1,308 new cases of COVID-19 and one more death on Tuesday, as the province unveiled the latest round of of new restrictions meant to curb the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
This is the highest one-day total for new cases to date, and it comes after Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry warned the public during a live news conference that it's now "inevitable that most of us in the province will be exposed at some point."
In a written statement, the provincial government said there are currently 6,348 active cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus in B.C.
B.C.'s recorded cases of Omicron now stand at 756, mostly in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, which has identified 413 cases.
A total of 192 people are in hospital, with 76 in intensive care.
Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are up by one from last Tuesday, when 191 people were in hospital with the disease but down by about 43 per cent from a month ago when 337 people were in hospital.
The number of patients in intensive care is down by about six per cent from 81 a week ago and by 34 per cent from a month ago when 115 people were in the ICU.
The latest numbers come after the province announced a raft of new measures intended to contain the latest wave of infections. Bars, nightclubs, gyms and fitness centres are being forced to closed, all indoor organized gatherings must be cancelled and six-person table limits are being reintroduced in restaurants as the Omicron variant spreads like wildfire.
Officials have also announced an expansion of the rapid testing program and an acceleration of the vaccine booster plan.
The provincial death toll from COVID-19 is now 2,403 lives lost out of 229,643 confirmed cases to date.
Health authorities with the highest population densities continue to lead the surge in new cases. The regional breakdown of new cases is as follows:
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