B.C. records 11 COVID-19 deaths, update on restrictions coming later in week

Eleven more people have died from COVID-19 in B.C., as the number of people hospitalized has continued to decline over the last 72 hours.

Of those who died six were in Fraser Health, three in Interior Health, one in Northern Health, and one in Island Health. As of Monday, there are 449 people hospitalized, 63 of whom are in intensive care.

There were 997 new cases recorded over the weekend, although restrictions on testing mean this is not an accurate reflection of the number of people who contracted the virus.

On the vaccination front, 85.5 per cent of those five and older have received two doses while 90.7 per cent have had two. Of those eligible for a booster, 56.2 have a third shot.

Health Minister @adriandix confirming BC’s updated #covid19 restrictions will be announced Thursday. Most current restrictions expire March 16th (the vax pass put in place until end of June but Dr Henry said she expected it to end sooner than that).@CityNewsVAN #bcpoli

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) March 7, 2022

B.C. is set to provide an update on restrictions Thursday, Health Minister Adrian Dix confirmed. While other provinces have done away with mask mandates and vaccine passports, Dix said he thinks British Columbia’s approach has been more measured, and more consistent. Current orders are set to expire March 16.

“If you look over the pandemic, there have been fewer changes in B.C. than other jurisdictions are — and that effect has been positive,” he said.

“We have the BC Vaccine Card in place, we have the mask mandate in place. Yes, other jurisdictions — with by the way higher hospitalizations — have decided to change those. But we are responding to our pandemic in B.C. in a balanced and I think pretty responsible way.”