Some patients with COVID-19 have received treatment at Vancouver General Hospital Photo: Rob Kruyt
There are now 426 people with COVID-19 in BC hospitals, 57 more than a week ago and the highest number since May 26, according to data from the BC Center for Disease Control (BCCDC).
Of these, 34 are in intensive care units (ICUs), which has been reduced by two since 7 July.
Deaths from COVID-19 continue to pile up, with 22 people listed as dead while they were infected with COVID-19 during the week through July 9th. That’s 2% less than the previous week’s 24 deaths. The total deaths included all people who tested positive for COVID-19 within 30 days and then died. This calculation may include people who tested positive and then died in car accidents.
Government data indicate that 3,823 people have now died while being infected with COVID-19 in BC, an increase of 35 from a week ago, although only 22 new deaths have been reported.
It is assumed that the BC government process should include all deaths involving people infected with COVID-19 in the weekly death count and total death toll and then, at a future date, eliminate from the total number of dead those in which Vital of the province is. The Statistics Agency determines that the death was not due to COVID-19
Instead, however, each week for months, the number of new deaths has been lower than the number of deaths added to the total deaths by COVID-19.
BIV asked the Ministry of Health about the discrepancy but did not get an explanation. All the ministry would say is that the weekly death toll “may be incomplete.”
The BCCDC detected 973 new COVID-19 infections in the week ending July 9th. This is an increase of 208 from a week earlier, and increases the number of known COVID-19 infections in BC to 376,329 since the first case was detected at the end. January 2020.
Data on new infections, however, have long since been widely rejected, and even the provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, earlier this year called the information “inaccurate.” This is because in December he started telling people that they were vaccinated and had mild symptoms that they should not be tested and that they should simply be isolated. He said then that this was to increase the ability to test for those with more severe symptoms and those who are more vulnerable.
It is now recommended to test only in cases where knowing the test result could change treatment recommendations.
The 12,302 COVID-19 tests conducted in BC the week ending July 9 increased by 198 from a week earlier. Considering there were 973 new cases, the positive test rate for the week was 7.9%, up from 6.32% a week earlier. •