While just 22 people are currently hospitalized in B.C. due to COVID-19, the government is preparing for much higher rates of hospitalization.
During Friday's daily press conference, Health Minister Adrain Dix said the government moved to Stage 2 of their pandemic preparedness plan on Monday, which involved the cancellation of non-urgent elective surgeries in B.C.
In just five days, this has opened up 2,398 hospital beds in preparation for increased COVID-19 hospitalizations.
“Prior to the COVID-19 response, we averaged about 103.5 per cent capacity in our acute care system,” Dix said. “That capacity as of now, a snapshot as of today, is 78.5 per cent. That's a change of occupancy in a very short period.”
Additionally, B.C.'s ICU beds are currently at 61.8 per cent capacity.
“We've acted now to ensure that our acute care centres, that our hospitals, are more prepared for a possible surge or influx of patients and this has required extraordinary effort by everyone in the acute care sector,” Dix said.
“These are dramatic responses from the healthcare system that tell you how seriously we take this.”
Dix reiterated the importance of “flattening the curve,” or slowing the community transmission of the virus, to allow the healthcare system a chance at handling the expected spike in cases.
As of Friday, 17,912 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in the province, resulting in 348 confirmed cases. Nine people have died from the virus, eight of whom were residents of North Vancouver's Lynn Valley Care Centre. Currently, 36 residents of the seniors home have tested positive, along with 18 staff members.
There have been 19 confirmed cases in the Interior Health region, but the Ministry of Health will not release information on what cities or towns these cases are in.
— Nicholas Johansen, Castanet
