Victoria, BC (WNews Vancouver) – B.C. has recorded another record with 4,383 new cases as the fifth wave-driven Omicron surge pushes COVID-19 to record heights. The province has reported 2,825 cases of the Omicron variant. This compares to 2,944 new cases that were reported on Wednesday.

Thursday’s update is nearly 50 percent higher than the case count reported Wednesday, and likely a significant undercount given the closure of multiple test sites in the hard-hit Lower Mainland due to frigid weather and because the province says it has maxed out its testing capacity.

The update also pushed the confirmed number of COVID-19 cases in B.C. to over a quarter million for the first time. There were at least 17,357 active cases in the province, also a new record.

Hospitalization among the fully vaccinated has increased sharply in the past week. 45.3% of hospitalization are from being fully vaccinated.

There are 17,357 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 230,784 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 211 individuals (up from 206 yesterday) are in hospital and 66 (no change since yesterday) are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

At the Wednesday Press Conference, Health Minister Adrian Dix said the seven-day average for COVID-19 test positivity province-wide had nearly hit 14.5 percent.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry also acknowledged the test numbers did not represent the true spread of the virus in the community, saying, “On average, there’s probably three to four times the number of people who truly have COVID than what is in our surveillance numbers on a daily basis.”

From Dec. 22-28, people fully vaccinated accounted for 84.2% of cases. From Dec. 15-28, they accounted for 45.3% of hospitalizations.

The new/active cases include:

• 2,319 new cases in Fraser Health
  • Total active cases: 7,940
• 977 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health
  • Total active cases: 6,424
• 501 new cases in Interior Health
  • Total active cases: 1,713
• 122 new cases in Northern Health
  • Total active cases: 422
• 460 new cases in Island Health
  • Total active cases: 856
• four new cases of people who reside outside of Canada
  • Total active cases: two

In the past 24 hours, one new death (Interior Health) has been reported, for an overall total of 2,420.

There have been six new healthcare facility outbreaks at Mission Memorial Hospital, New Vista Care Centre, Chartwell Langley Gardens, Chartwell Carlton Gardens, Chartwell Crescent Gardens and Guildford Seniors Village (Fraser Health), for a total of 13 facilities with ongoing outbreaks, including:

• long-term care:
  • The Oxford Senior Care Home, Fort Langley Seniors Community, AgeCare Harmony Court, New Vista Care Centre, Chartwell Langley Gardens, Chartwell Carlton Gardens, Chartwell Crescent Gardens, Guildford Seniors Village (Fraser Health); and
  • Ridgeview Lodge (Interior Health)
• acute care:
  • Mission Memorial Hospital (Fraser Health); and
  • Lions Gate Hospital (Vancouver Coastal Health)
• assisted or independent living:
  • The Waverly Seniors Village (Fraser Health)
• mental health and substance use:
  • UBC Hospital – Detwiller Pavillion (Vancouver Coastal Health)

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry will be joined by Health Minister Adrian Dix at a press conference on New Year’s Eve (December 31) to provide a COVID19 update at 10 am.

Thursday, December 30, 2021 Stats.

There have been 2,825 cases of the Omicron variant of concern confirmed in B.C.:

• Fraser Health: 777
• Vancouver Coastal Health: 1,333
• Interior Health: 152
• Northern Health: 13
• Island Health: 548
• Unknown: two

Past week cases (Dec. 22-28) – Total 15,429

• Not vaccinated: 2,185 (14.2%)
• Partially vaccinated: 249 (1.6%)
• Fully vaccinated: 12,995 (84.2%)

Past two weeks cases hospitalized (Dec. 15-28) – Total 117

• Not vaccinated: 64 (54.7%) ) (down from 57.6% from Wednesday)
• Partially vaccinated: 0 (0.0%)
• Fully vaccinated: 53 (45.3%) (Up from 42.4% from Wednesday)

Past week, cases per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (Dec. 22-28)

• Not vaccinated: 337.3 (up from 318.5)
• Partially vaccinated: 96.4 (up from 82.6)
• Fully vaccinated: 283.7 (down from 257.6)

Past two weeks, cases hospitalized per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (Dec. 15-28)

• Not vaccinated: 14.9 (down from 17.5 since Wednesday)
• Partially vaccinated: 0.0 (no change)
• Fully vaccinated: 1.1 (down from 1.2 since Wednesday)