ICU patients more than double in a week as B.C. records 1,434 new cases of COVID-19 over 3 days

B.C. health officials announced Monday there were 1,434 new cases of COVID-19 and one more deathover the past 72 hours.

The cases break down as follows:

• Between Aug. 13-14, Friday to Saturday,there were 532 new cases.
• Between Aug. 14-15, Saturday to Sunday, there were 441 new cases.
• Between Aug. 15-16, Sunday to Monday, there were 461 new cases.

In a written statement, the provincial government said there are currently 5,090active cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus in B.C.

A total of 104 people are in hospital, the first time since July 1 the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 has been over 100.Of those 47 are inintensive care, over twice as many as a week ago when only 20 people were in the ICU.

Overall hospitalizations, which typically lag behind spikes and dips in new cases, are up 53 per cent from last Monday, when 68people were in hospital with the disease.

The provincialdeath toll from the disease is now 1,780lives lost. There have been 156,513 confirmed cases to date.

As of Monday, 82.6per cent of those 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of aCOVID-19 vaccineand 73.2 per cent asecond dose.

Cases rising provincewide

More than half of the new dailyCOVID-19 cases in the province werein the Interior Health region,but other areas of B.C. are also seeing an increase.

Here is the regional breakdown of new cases:

• 734 new cases in Interior Health, which has2,982 total active cases.
• 316 new cases in Fraser Health, which has 882 total active cases.
• 198 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health, which has 715 total active cases.
• 112 new cases in Island Health, which has307 total active cases.
• 74 new cases in Northern Health, which has197 total active cases.
• There are no new cases among people who reside outside of Canada, a group which has seven total active cases.

Interior Health says non-essential travel to and from the Central Okanagan should be avoided due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to a statement Friday from Northern Health, 16 employees and contractors working on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion projectin the Valemount area tested positivefor COVID-19. The health authoritysaid an investigation suggests the majority of the infections were not acquired atthe project site.

As the fourth wave of COVID-19 grips the country, Ottawahas announced it will be mandatory for all federal government employees to be vaccinated.

The government says it also "expects" that other employers infederally regulated sectors like banking, broadcasting and telecommunications willrequire vaccinations for their employees.

In B.C., the province has mandated vaccines for all long-term care volunteers and employees.

The majority of people currently in hospital with the novel coronavirus in B.C. are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

British Columbians aged 12 and over who have not yet been immunized can register in three ways:

• Online through theGet Vaccinated portal.
• By calling 1-833-838-2323. Translators are available in 140 languages.
• In person at anyService B.C. location.

People can also be immunized atwalk-in clinics throughout the province.