B.C. reports 16 fewer people in hospital with COVID-19 and 8 more deaths

B.C. health officials reported 329 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Wednesday, including 51 in intensive care, as the province recorded eight more deaths from the disease.

The new numbers represent a decrease of 16 COVID-19 patients hospitalized within the last 24 hours and one more patient in the ICU.

Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are down by 18.7 per cent from last Wednesday, when 405 people were in hospital with the disease and down about 56.8 per cent from a month ago when 762 people were in hospital. 

Deaths also lag cases, with higher numbers a reflection of Omicron's January surge.

The number of patients in intensive care is down by about 12 per cent from 58 a week ago and down by 57.8 per cent from a month ago when 121 people were in the ICU.

The provincial death toll from COVID-19 is now 2,953 lives lost out of 353,139 confirmed cases to date. The province noted that one previously-reported death has been removed from the total due to a data correction.

There are a total of nine active outbreaks in assisted living, long-term, and acute care facilities.

A new outbreak has been declared at an acute care facility, at Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey, B.C.

As of Wednesday, 90.7 per cent of those five and older in B.C. had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 86.8 per cent a second dose.

A total of 2.63 million people have received a booster shot to date.

COVID testing for travellers entering Canada to end: source

The federal government is expected to announce that travellers entering Canada will no longer have to take a pre-arrival COVID-19 test.

Sources with knowledge of the matter confirm Canada will remove testing requirements at airports and land border crossings by the end of March.

Currently, travellers entering the country must show proof of a negative antigen or molecular test within a day of their flight or arrival at the border.

The official announcement is expected to happen as soon as Thursday.