B.C. reports a new high of 534 people in hospital with COVID-19 and 7 more deaths

B.C. health officials say 534 people are now in hospital with COVID-19 more than at any other time during the pandemic with102 in intensive care,as the province reported seven more deaths from the disease and 2,554new cases on Thursday.

The new numbers represent an increaseof 34 COVID-19 patients hospitalized within the last 24 hours, although thenumber of patients in the ICU is the same as yesterday.

The previous highfor hospitalizations was on April 28, 2021 when515 people were in hospitalat the peak of the third wave.

Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are up65 per cent from last Thursday, when 324 people were in hospital with the disease and upby189 per cent from a month ago when 185 people were in hospital.

The number of patients in intensive care is upby about 13 per cent from 90 a week ago and upby 42 per cent from a month ago when 72 people were in the ICU.

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

As of Jan. 11, 23.1 per cent of COVID-19 tests in B.C. are coming back positive, according to the province's COVID-19 dashboard.

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 36,049recorded active cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus in B.C.

The provincialdeath toll from COVID-19is now 2,462 lives lost out of 291,246confirmed cases to date.

Thereis a total of 53 active outbreaks in assisted living, long-term, and acute care facilities.

As of Thursday,88.9 per cent of those five and older in B.C. hadreceived their first dose of aCOVID-19 vaccineand 83.3 per cent asecond dose.

From Jan. 5 to Jan. 11, people who were not fully vaccinated accounted for 21 per cent of cases and from Dec. 29 to Jan. 11,they accounted for 34.5 per cent of hospitalizations, according to the province.

A total of 1.3 million people have received a booster shot to date.

Staffing pressures

The Omicron variant is creating staffing shortages in numerous sectors, including amongpolice, paramedicand health-care workers.

B.C.'s largestprovider of medical laboratory services, LifeLabs, has also been forced to closeor reducehours at 16 locationsfor at least two weeks because ofstaffing issues related to thevariant.

On Wednesday, LifeLabs shuttered 11 locations: eight in the Lower Mainland, two in Victoria and one in Kamloops. Another three locations in the Lower Mainland and two in Victoria have announced reduced hours of operation.

The closures are a worrying development in an already maxed outhealth-care system experiencing staffshortages in every sector.

"It just means that there's going to be more stress now on our acute care services and more stress on the people who need health care urgently now. They're the ones who are going to suffer," saidfamily physician Dr. Karina Zeidler.

Read more herefor a list of impacted labs and for additional information onLifeLab closures.