B.C. posts highest COVID-19 hospitalizations since January in latest monthly update

Published by: CTV News
Published on: September 5, 2024
By Ian Holliday

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in B.C. has risen to its highest level since January, according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control’s latest monthly update.

There were 214 test-positive COVID patients in provincial hospitals as of Thursday, according to the BCCDC. That’s the second-highest total the agency has published all year, only slightly below the 219 seen on Jan. 4, the first – and still highest – total reported in 2024.

Thursday’s update showed the number of lab-confirmed cases rose each week in August, with 365 new positive tests recorded during the week of Aug. 4 to 10 and 462 recorded last week.

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British Columbia

No Longer an Official Emergency, COVID Remains a Crisis

Published August 5, 2024

Published by: The Tyee
Published on: August 5, 2024
By Michelle Gamage

British Columbia’s top doctor has ended the COVID-19 public health emergency, which began nearly 1,600 days ago on March 17, 2020.

Declaring COVID-19 a public health emergency gave provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry the ability to issue mask mandates, travel and gathering restrictions and vaccination requirements for health-care workers to curb the spread of the virus.

While experts The Tyee spoke with agree the public health emergency may no longer be needed, they stressed that COVID-19 still poses a serious and potentially deadly threat to the general public.

“COVID is still a major, ongoing health issue and crisis,” said Tara Moriarty, an associate professor at the University of Toronto, an infectious disease expert and co-founder of the COVID-19 Resources Canada database.

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New Brunswick

COVID-19 experts warn of risks of summer surge as N.B. hazard index leads country

Published June 28, 2024

Published by: CBC News
Published on: June 28, 2024
By Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon

Two infectious disease experts are warning New Brunswickers about the risks of COVID-19 heading into the summer, when they say many people mistakenly believe infections decrease.

New Brunswick has the highest COVID-19 risk index in the country right now — more than double the national average, according to Tara Moriarty, an infectious disease researcher and lead of COVID-19 Resources Canada, which produces a weekly forecast.

The province is listed as “severe” for June 22 to July 5, with a score of 28.2, based on current infections and spread, health-care system impact and mortality. Canada’s overall rate is 13.6.

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British Columbia

How to stay informed on COVID-19

Published December 5, 2023

Published by: The Peak
Published on: December 5, 2023
By Michelle Young

BC public health has made it too confusing to keep up on COVID-19 information. With the government changing information about COVID-19 data and obscuring data collection, knowingly downplaying risks about transmission, and overall unclear messaging, it’s no wonder people are misinformed.

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Tag: COVID-19 Resources Canada