Omicron pushes B.C.'s daily COVID case count to highest level ever
B.C. set a new record in the last 24 hours for the number of new COVID-19 cases recorded. The exact number has not yet been released, but provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry revealed today, Dec. 21, that the record had been broken while ordering bars, nightclubs and fitness...
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B.C. set a new record in the last 24 hours for the number of new COVID-19 cases recorded.
The exact number has not yet been released, but provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry revealed today, Dec. 21, that the record had been broken while ordering bars, nightclubs and fitness centres to close because of concerns over the rapid spread of COVID because of the Omicron variant.
Scheduled non-urgent surgeries will be cancelled starting Jan. 4.
READ MORE: B.C. government closes bars, fitness centres because of Omicron
“We’re at the case levels that we’ve never heard of before,” Dr. Henry said during a news conference. “Today, we’re somewhere around 1,300 cases – the numbers will be out very soon – that is the highest level we’ve ever had."
The previous high was 1,292 cases on April 8, 2021. There were about a dozen days last spring when case counts were more than 1,000 a day.
On Dec. 13, there were 349 new cases recorded in B.C., showing that COVID’s fourth wave seemed to be in retreat.
The next day health officials announced there were 44 cases of Omicron in B.C. and the numbers of daily cases started a dramatic climb.
Over the weekend, there were 800 to 900 cases a day.
The Ministry of Health plans to release the exact daily COVID case count later today.
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