New COVID-19 hospital admissions down in B.C. as overall case numbers rise | Canadian

The number of hospitalizations in B.C. connected to COVID-19 has decreased from the previous week, according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

Between July 24 and 30, there were an estimated 242 new admissions, compared to 281 from July 17 to 23. The majority of new hospital admissions — 97 — are concentrated in the Fraser Health Authority.

That brings the total of patients in hospitals with COVID-19 to 410 as of Aug. 4.

Thirty-eight patients — 17 of whom are in the Fraser Health region — are in critical care, compared to 45 in the previous week.

An estimated 28 people died between July 24 and 30 within 30 days of testing positive for COVID-19.

The true number of hospital admissions, critical care admissions, and 30-day mortality rates for the latest reporting period are expected to rise as the BC CDC collects more information.

While the centre reports a total of 983 new COVID-19 cases in B.C. between July 24 and 30, the lack of testing means the province’s true case count is likely higher.

The number of reported new cases has increased by 63 from the previous week, with 379 new cases in the Fraser Health Authority, 231 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 164 in the Interior Health Authority, 152 in the Vancouver Island Health Authority, and 57 in the Northern Health Authority.

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The new numbers come as the province launches its first COVID-19 vaccine campaign for children under the age of five. As of Tuesday, B.C. began offering pediatric doses of the Moderna Spikevax mRNA vaccine to children as young as six months old.

To date, roughly 14,675 youngsters have registered for the new doses through the province’s Get Vaccinated website, out of 210,000 eligible children — a registration rate of seven per cent.

“Not surprisingly, the biggest concern that people have is about safety, so many parents want to watch and wait and see what happens with the vaccine,” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry in a Thursday interview.

She urged as many people to get vaccinated as possible, and to “start thinking” about getting back into pandemic routines for the fall.