Hospitalizations creeping up, as B.C. announces 542 new cases of COVID-19 and 7 more deaths

B.C. health officials announced 542 new cases of COVID-19 and seven more deaths on Wednesday as the number of patients in hospital begins to creep back up again.

In a written statement,Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix put the number of hospitalized patients at 246 people, 64of whom are in intensive care.

The number of people in hospital with the disease has been slowly inching upfor the last two weeks after a steady decline that beganJanuary, now hitting levels about 13 per cent higher than the low point seen on Feb. 19.

Meanwhile, the seven-day rolling average of new cases continues to climb and is now about 25 per cent higher than it was two weeks ago.

In light of those trends, Henry and Dix signalled that current restrictions on everyday life will not be lifted in the near future or at least not until a much larger portion of the population has been vaccinated.

"More people vaccinated whether in Nanaimo, Nelson or North Vancouver makes all of us safer. Until we have that next level of community protection, so does staying the course with our safety measures, staying small and local. Let's keep going and get to those post-pandemic days," they said.

So far, 289,809doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, including 86,616 second doses.

A total of 1,372 people in B.C. have lost their lives to COVID-19 since the pandemic began, out of81,909 confirmed cases.

There are currently 4,654active cases of coronavirus in the province.

Public health is monitoring 8,617 people across B.C. who are in self-isolation because of COVID-19 exposure, the highest numbersince Jan. 8. A total of 75,819 people who tested positive have recovered.

Another 18 cases of variants of concern have been confirmed in B.C. for a total of 200 to date. That includes 176 cases of the variant first identified in the U.K. and 24 of the variant first reported in South Africa.

There have been no new outbreaks in health-care facilities.

Accelerated vaccination timeline

Henry has said that any eligible adult who wants a COVID-19 vaccine in British Columbia should be able to receive their first dose by the end of July, in light of the approval of the new AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine and the decision to delay second doses.

Health officialsannounced the accelerated timeline Mondayas the province movedinto the second phase of its vaccine rollout plan.

That plan is based on a controversial decision to space out first and second doses by 16 weeks, a much longer interval than what isrecommended by the vaccines' manufacturers.

On Wednesday, however, theNational Advisory Council on Immunization and Canada's Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health endorsed B.C.'s plan, and B.C. officials said they were pleased atthe news.

"Our goal is to protect as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, through the available COVID-19 vaccines. With a single primer dose, these vaccines are helping to stop outbreaks and reduce serious illness and death," Henry and Dix said.

"Setting the second booster dose at 16 weeks allows us to expand the number of people who will have access to these safe and effective vaccines, and may provide more durable and longer lasting protection."

B.C. seniors 80 and older, Indigenous seniors 65 and older, hospital staff and medical specialists, vulnerable populations living and working in shared settings, and staff providing in-home support to seniors will begin getting their shots this month.

More than 19,200First Nations peoplehave received their first dose of either the Moderna orPfizervaccines and 5,258have received their seconddose. In total,24,515Indigenous people in 113 communities have received a vaccine.

But some Indigenous leaders say it'snot without mishaps,includinga lack communication, racismand outstanding questions about vaccinating urban community members.

• B.C. accelerates timeline for first vaccine doses, rolls out appointment system for seniors over 80

The province's vaccination plan is focused on inoculating high-risk people and most elderly populations by April.Younger age groups will follow in the spring and summer.

CBC British Columbia is hosting atownhallon March 10 to put your COVID-19 vaccine questions to expert guests, including Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.You can find the details atcbc.ca/ourshot.Have a question about the vaccine, or the rollout plan in B.C.? Email us:bcasks@cbc.ca