B.C. reactivates emergency centres amid spike in COVID, flu, RSV

The pressure on B.C.’s healthcare system has reached a breaking point as the province re-opens Emergency Operations Centers as of Monday.

More than a dozen hospitals are being affected as healthcare workers just try to keep up with demand.

Much of that demand is being driven by the so-called tripledemic of the flu, RSV, and COVID-19.

While it’s common to see a rise in illnesses this time of year due to the respiratory illness season, B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said Friday that there’s been an unprecedented increase in demand on the health system.

“January is typically the time when we see an increase in hospitalizations, partly due to the holiday period in a in a normal year, and this January is no different,” Dix said.

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The Emergency Operations Centers are being opened for at least six weeks at 20 of the province’s busiest hospitals.

Around the Lower Mainland, that includes Royal Columbian, St. Paul’s, BC Children’s, Surrey Memorial, Abbotsford General, and other hospitals.

The goal is to reduce overall capacity in hospitals, while ensuring beds are available for others who show up to the emergency room.

As of Friday, the province says there were more than 10,000 patients in B.C. hospitals.

“If you look at that number, within that you see it’s 88 per cent of our total complement of beds, but 111 per cent of our base bed capacity, which is significant and high,” Dix explained.

“This is a proactive step to provide more supports and coordinated response during periods of expected additional pressure on our hospitals.”

Dix says the province will continue to review hospital bed availability and work with the various health authorities to bring in any needed changes.

“These actions will ensure we are prepared for any increase in demand for hospital care.”

Despite reactivating these centres, the province still has not brought back pandemic measures such as the mask mandate. The B.C. government instead continues to encourage people to wear them in public settings.

Emergency Operations Centers have been used before during the pandemic and are often opened during major events, like the recent snowstorms to hit the South Coast.

-With files from Emily Marsten, Liza Yuzda, The Canadian Press