COVID-19 hospitalizations up slightly in B.C., according to latest weekly numbers

COVID-19 hospitalizations are up a little, butthe number of people in critical care has stayedthe same, according to the latest weekly report from theB.C. Centre for Disease Control.

The BCCDC reported 328people hospitalized with the disease on Thursday, an increase of 13 per cent from the week before.The province's dashboardshows26people in the ICU, the same number reported last week.

In the week leading up to Nov. 12, 30new deaths were reported among people who tested positive for the coronavirus within the previous 30 days.The province initially reported 20deaths in the week ending Nov. 5. That total has been revised upwards to 40.

To date, 4,607 people in B.C. are believed to have died due to causeslinked to COVID-19.

A total of 487 new cases of COVID-19 were reported by B.C. labs that same week,up almost 20 per cent from the week before.

Reported cases are believed to significantlyunderestimatethe actual spread of the disease in the province, as the centreonly counts PCR tests in its totals, which the majority of British Columbians currently don't have access to.

The BCCDC says wastewater testing at five treatment plants in Metro Vancouver, which account for half of B.C.'s population, shows that virus levels are "stable or declining across all sites."

No need for mask mandate, Henry says

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says even with rising rates of respiratory illness, especially among children, she doesn't feel the need to bring the "heavy hand" of amask mandate back to B.C.

Henry said previous mask mandates were imposed with COVID-19 whenvaccines weren'tavailable for children, andthere was a high rate of sickness and absenteeism among adults and restrictions on gathering.

"We have a very high level of immunity.We have vaccines.We have treatments for influenza, for COVID-19, for RSV," she said.

Henry said the latest data shows that the illness being seen most commonly among children in B.C. right now is influenza Aand, to a lesser degree, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.

Both Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix encouraged people to use common senseand wear masks in certain situations, for example,on transit, in crowds and when sick.

Dix says 1.2 million B.C. residents have already received a flu shot this year, twice as many as last year.

Provincial health officials are encouraging everyone who gets a flu shot to sign up for a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time.