B.C. reports 31 more people in hospital with COVID-19, 5 more in the ICU and 6 additional deaths

B.C. health officials say 500 people are now in hospital with COVID-19, including 102 in intensive care, as the province reported six more deaths from the disease and 2,612 new cases on Wednesday.

The new numbers represent an increase of 31 COVID-19 patients hospitalized within the last 24 hours, including five more patients in the ICU.

Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are up by 57.7 per cent from last Wednesday, when 317 people were in hospital with the disease and up about 170.2 per cent from a month ago when 185 people were in hospital. 

The number of patients in intensive care is up by about 22.8 per cent from 83 a week ago and up by 41.6 per cent from a month ago when 72 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.

There are currently 36,394 recorded active cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus in B.C.

The provincial death toll from COVID-19 is now 2,455 lives lost out of 288,939 confirmed cases to date.

There are a total of 49 active outbreaks in assisted living, long-term, and acute care facilities. The outbreak at Ridgeview Lodge in Kamloops was declared over.

Acute care outbreaks include. 

As of Wednesday, 88.9 per cent of those five and older in B.C. had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 83.2 per cent a second dose.