10 new deaths as B.C. sees lowest number of COVID patients in ICU since start of 2022
by Cole Schisler · Barriere Star Journal442 new cases were reported Tuesday, March 2
B.C.’s trend of declining COVID-19 hospitalizations continued Wednesday (March 2) as the number of people in ICU hit its lowest level since 2022 began.
The province reported 517 people in hospital with COVID-19, 73 of whom are in ICU, down from 523 and 83 yesterday. Those numbers reflect everyone in hospital who is COVID positive and does not mean that each of them is hospitalized because of the virus.
In the past 24 hours, 10 new deaths have been reported. Four people died in Vancouver Coastal Health, two in Fraser Health, two in Interior Health and two in Northern Health. Since the pandemic began, 2,883 British Columbians have died of COVID-19.
B.C. reported 442 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday with 111 in Fraser Health, 105 in Interior Health, 98 in Island Health, 69 in Vancouver Coastal Health and 59 in Northern Health.
Access to testing remains limited across the province, so case counts are not representative of the full scope of COVID-19 infections in B.C. Rapid antigen tests are becoming more widely available, however positive rapid test results must be self-reported to the BCCDC to be counted in official statistics.
There have been five new health-care facility outbreaks at Mission Memorial Hospital (Fraser Health), Gillis House (Interior Health), Berwick House Gordon Head, The Heights at Mt. View and Greenwoods (Island Health).
At a news conference on March 1, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said B.C.’s COVID-19 situation is rapidly improving and she signalled the province could move to ease restrictions further by spring break which starts March 14.