Hospitalizations from COVID in B.C. continue steady decline

Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continue to steadily decline in B.C.

The number of people in hospital with the disease fell in the past 24 hour to 368 from 388 yesterday, according to a Ministry of Health media release issued today, March 11. The number of patients in intensive care dropped from 52 to 46. New cases provincewide dropped from 336 to 288.

Approximately half of the people in hospital with a COVID diagnosis were not there because of COVID, but were tested after going to hospital for things like surgery, delivering a baby or being admitted to a mental health unit.

READ MORE: 'Get a hobby,' B.C. premier tells those considering protesting COVID-19 mandates

Of the new cases, 93 were in Interior Health, 71 in Fraser Health, 47 in Vancouver Coastal, 47 on Vancouver Island and 30 in the Northern Health region.

The real number of cases is estimated to be three to four times higher because many people infected with COVID are not getting tested or take rapid tests that are not recorded in these figures.

Three new deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, all in the Fraser Health region, bringing the pandemic death toll to 2,935.

The vaccination rate for people over the age of 12 with at least one dose rose slightly to 93.4%, while 90.9% have had at least two doses and 56.4% have three doses.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Howard Alexander or call 250-309-5343 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.