B.C. reports 25 more people in hospital with COVID-19, 3 more in ICU and 9 additional deaths

B.C. health officials say 349 people are now in hospital with COVID-19, including 93 in intensive care, as the province reported nine more deaths from the disease and 3,144 new cases on Friday.

The new numbers represent an increaseof 25 COVID-19 patients hospitalized within the last 24 hours, including threemorepatients in the ICU.

Experts say hospitalizations area more accurate barometer of the disease's impact,as new case numbersin B.C. arelikely higherthan reported, now that the province has hitits testing limit because of the Omicron surge.

As of Thursday, 23.9 per cent of COVID-19 tests in B.C. are coming back positive, according to the province's COVID-19 dashboard. On Vancouver Island, 29.1 per cent of tests are positive.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has said thatanything above a five per cent test-positivity rateindicates a concerning level of community transmission.

There are currently 33,184 recorded active cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus in B.C.

Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are upby 59per cent from last Friday, when 220 people were in hospital with the disease and upabout 44per cent from a month ago when 242 people were in hospital.

The number of patients in intensive care is upby about 27 per cent from 73 a week ago and upby 13 per cent from a month ago when 82 people were in the ICU.

The provincialdeath toll from COVID-19is now 2,439 lives lost out of 276,875 confirmed cases to date.

By Friday afternoon, the province said there were a totalof 38 active outbreaks in assisted living, long-term, and acute care facilities, including new outbreaks atSurrey Memorial Hospital and Peace Arch Hospital Foundation Lodge in Surrey.

Later Friday night, Vancouver Coastal Health announced an additional outbreak atDresden House at German Canadian Care Home, after 12 residents tested positive for COVID-19.

As of Friday,88.5per cent of those five and older in B.C. have received their first dose of aCOVID-19 vaccineand 83.1 per cent asecond dose.

From Dec. 30 to Jan. 5, people who were not fully vaccinated accounted for 17.1 per cent of cases and from Dec. 23 to Jan. 5, and they accounted for 39.3 per cent of hospitalizations, according to the province.

A total of 1,089,023 people have received a booster shot to date.

The province is currently ramping up its vaccination program in response to Omicron. On Friday, Northern Health announced that vaccinationcapacity is doubling in Prince George beginning next week, while Fraser Health said it is reopening or expanding a number of mass vaccination clinics to provide boosters.

Children set to return to school

Earlier Friday, B.C. officials announced that schoolchildren will return to in-class learning on Monday, despite a surge in transmission caused by the Omicron variant.

Education Minister Jennifer Whitesidesaid there will be enhanced safety measures in place and schools will have access to three-layered masks, despite calls from the B.C. Teachers Federation to distribute N95s instead.

Last week, the province announceda staggered returnto school in January because of Omicron, and school administrators have been usingthis time to prepare contingency plans, includingfunctional, phasedclosuresfor when too many staff are sick or required to isolate.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry also said a new supply of rapid tests from the federal government is expected to begin arriving next week.