British Columbians will get another glimpse on Wednesday of how COVID-19 is spreading in the province thanks to a written update from the Department of Health.

The last update of the dossier should be published in the afternoon.

On Tuesday, the Department of Health released its first comprehensive pandemic update of the year, revealing an increase in hospitalizations over a four-day period.

As of Tuesday, there were 298 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the province, marking an increase of about 35%, including 86 in intensive care.

The majority of recent COVID-19 patients have not been vaccinated, according to the province, although this group constitutes a shrinking minority of British Columbia’s population. The unvaccinated accounted for 53.3% of hospitalizations between December 16 and 29.

However, they only represent about 12% of the population aged five and over in the province.

Wednesday’s case update is unlikely to offer a clear picture of how many people have tested positive with a rapid test, however, as many of those taking these tests in British Columbia are encouraged to report their results on their own. to their health authority.

The latest case tally will also not take into account the number of people who have decided to forgo testing, following current recommendations from the provincial health worker that people who are fully vaccinated and with mild symptoms should simply self-isolate. .

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

With files from Andrew Weichel of CTV News Vancouver