COVID-19 update: B.C. hospitalizations still surging as hundreds of surgeries delayed

The number of COVID-19 patients in B.C. hospitals continued to climb on Tuesday, adding to the pandemic's ongoing strain on health-care resources that has already resulted in hundreds of delayed surgeries in recent weeks.

The number of COVID-19 patients in B.C. hospitals continued to climb on Tuesday, adding to the pandemic's ongoing strain on health-care resources that has already resulted in hundreds of delayed surgeries in recent weeks.

B.C.'s Ministry of Health announced there are now 325 coronavirus patients hospitalized across the province, a jump of 25 from Monday. The number of those patients in intensive care remained relatively flat at 155, however.

Earlier in the day, Health Minister Adrian Dix confirmed there were 798 non-urgent surgeries postponed between Sept. 5 and 18.

"Every one of those surgeries is medically necessary," Dix said. "Every one of those surgeries will be done. But they've had to be delayed because of COVID-19 pressures on our hospitals."

That pressure was preventable, the health minister said, and can still be alleviated if more residents get vaccinated against COVID-19.

"It is essential those who have not been vaccinated and are eligible to be vaccinated make the decision we are all counting on them to make," Dix said.

Of the patients currently battling COVID-19 in ICUs, 94 per cent are not fully vaccinated. Just over 88 per cent have not received a single dose of vaccine, including all 20 patients under the age of 40.