B.C. COVID-19 hospitalizations drop sharply while ICU numbers remain level

COVID-19 hospitalizations have dropped by nearly a quarter while the number of patients in critical care has remained about the same, according to the latest numbers from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control's weekly report.

The BCCDC reported 292 people hospitalized with the disease on Thursday, down from 389a week ago.The province's dashboardshowed 20 people in the ICU, down from 21 last Thursday.

The province last reported fewer than 300 people in hospital with COVID-19 in June.

In the week leading up to Oct. 22, 44 new deaths were reported among people who tested positive for the coronavirus within the previous 30 days. That brings the number of deaths potentially linked to the disease to 4,485.

That same week, 534 new cases of COVID-19 were reported by B.C. labs, down from the week before.

However, experts say B.C. under-reportsall key COVID metrics, including deaths, with the BCCDCnoting thatits numbers are subject to revision.

Case totals are believed to be significant underestimates of the true spread of the disease because the centreonly counts PCR tests in its report, which are currently inaccessible to the majority of British Columbians.

Wastewater testing at five different treatment plants, representing 50 per cent of B.C.'s population, shows that virus levels have remained relatively stable during the week ending Oct. 22.

Weekly numbers shared by the province are preliminary and are often changed retroactively.

For instance, last week, the province reported 32deaths in the week endingOct. 15. That total has been revised upwards to 46, an increase of nearly 44 per cent.

Health officials have urged British Columbians to sign up for their COVID-19 booster shots when they receive an invitation and to get a flu shot as soon as possible to prevent further hospital admissions and deaths this winter, with the potential arrival of a number of variants that are currently circulating in other parts of the world.

Experts are advising residents to wear masks and interact in well-ventilated spaces as the weather gets cooler and people spend more time indoors.