Photo: BC Gov Flickr

COVID-positive hospitalizations surged by more than 26 per cent over the weekend amid the peak of the Omicron wave.

The provincial government announced 5,625 new coronavirus cases over the past three days, bringing B.C.’s active caseload to 35,985. Of the active cases, 819 COVID-positive individuals are in hospital and 99 are in intensive care.

On Friday, there were 646 COVID-positive individuals in the hospital and 95 in intensive care. B.C. shifted how it counts hospitalizations last week, more details are here.

There were 1,345 new cases in Interior Health, which has an active caseload of 5,192 and 90 hospitalizations, 13 of whom are in the ICU.

The new cases were confirmed over the weekend as follows:

• Jan. 14-15: 2,383 new cases
• Jan. 15-16: 1,733 new cases
• Jan. 16-17: 1,509 new cases

Case counts have become a much less useful metric in recent months, as B.C.'s testing system is at capacity. A triage system means PCR tests are reserved for vulnerable people. Many others are being given rapid antigen tests, results of which are not added to daily case counts.

The new/active cases include:

• 1,884 new cases in Fraser Health — Total active cases: 17,789
• 1,155 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health — Total active cases: 9,276
• 1,345 new cases in Interior Health — Total active cases: 5,192
• 556 new cases in Northern Health — Total active cases: 1,645
• 681 new cases in Island Health — Total active cases: 2,068

As of Monday, 89.2% of eligible people five and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 83.4% have received their second dose.

In the past 72 hours, 22 new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,490. Four deaths occurred in Interior Health.

From Jan. 7-13, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 22.7% of cases. From Dec. 31 to Jan. 13, they accounted for 33.7% of hospitalizations.

Past week, cases per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (Jan. 7-13)

• Not vaccinated: 444.3
• Partially vaccinated: 201.1
• Fully vaccinated: 369.4

Past two weeks, cases hospitalized per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (Dec. 31 to Jan. 13)

• Not vaccinated: 57.3
• Partially vaccinated: 29.9
• Fully vaccinated: 11.5

Past week cases (Jan. 7-13) - Total 16,478

• Not vaccinated: 3,101 (18.8%)
• Partially vaccinated: 642 (3.9%)
• Fully vaccinated: 12,735 (77.3%)

Past two weeks cases hospitalized (Dec. 31 to Jan. 13) - Total 809

• Not vaccinated: 235 (29.0%)
• Partially vaccinated: 38 (4.7%)
• Fully vaccinated: 536 (66.3%)

Photo: Castanet Staff