What happened: The number of new COVID-19 cases in B.C. jumped by 71, to 1,795, on April 22, perhaps showing that the trajectory has not yet been flattened. In recent days, the number of new infections has been in the 20s. Hospitalizations, however, have been down, and dropped by six to 103.
Why this matters: Flattening the curve in new infections is expected to have a direct impact on flattening the curve in the number of hospitalized patients.
B.C. on April 22 reported a spike in the number of new COVID-19 infections even as its number of hospitalized patients has been on the wane. Keeping the number of infections down is a key factor in government deciding to loosen restrictions on large gatherings, travel and eating in restaurants.
The 71 new cases in a 24-hour period is high compared with recent days, according to provincial health officer Bonnie Henry. She called the spike a hurdle.
"Until we clear this hurdle we can't begin to make changes," she said.
Most of the 1,795 people who have had the virus, however, or 1,079 people, have recovered.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases by health region are:
• 745 in Vancouver Coastal Health;
• 747 in Fraser Health;
• 110 in Island Health;
• 153 in Interior Health; and
• 40 in Northern Health.There are 103 individuals currently hospitalized with 46 of those in intensive care
Health Minister Adrian Dix said April 22 that the 103 hospitalizations are "the lowest number of cases we've had in the month of April, down from a high of 149." He added that the number of intensive care cases was also a low for the month.
Three new seniors' care homes have had outbreaks: Eden Care Centre, Guildford Seniors Village and New Vista Care Home. All three are in the Fraser Health region. That makes for a total of 29 seniors' care homes that have had outbreaks.
Homes that have had outbreaks that have been declared over are:
• Vancouver's German Canadian House long-term care facility;
• Vancouver's Villa Cathay long-term care facility;
• Vancouver's Little Mountain long-term care facility; and
• West Vancouver's Inglewood Care Centre.
• White Rock's Amica Retirement Home long-term care facility;
• Surrey's Harrison at Elim Village long-term care facility;
• Delta's Delta View long-term care facility;
• Port Coquitlam's Shaughnessy Care Centre long-term care facility;
• White Rock's Evergreen Baptist Complex (includes assisted living and long-term care facility, and manor - seniors rental);
The other seniors' care homes or living facilities that have active outbreaks are:
• North Vancouver's Amica Edgemont Village;
• North Vancouver's Berkley Care Centre long-term care facility.
• West Vancouver's Hollyburn House;
• Vancouver's Central City Lodge;
• Vancouver's Broadway Pentecostal Lodge long-term care facility;
• Vancouver's Windermere Care Centre long-term care facility;
• Vancouver's South Granville Park Lodge;
• Vancouver's Royal Arch Masonic Home long-term care facility;
• Burnaby's Swedish Canadian Manor assisted living;
• Coquitlam's Dufferin Care Centre;
• Langley's Langley Gardens long-term care facility;
• Langley's Langley Lodge long-term care facility;
• Mission's Cedarbrook Chateau independent living;
• Abbotsford's Cottage-Worthington Pavilion; and
•Cranbrook's Kootenay Street Village long-term care facility.
There has also been an outbreak at an acute-care unit at Ridge Meadows Hospital in the Fraser Health region, and Henry and Dix have referred to that outbreak as being part of outbreaks at seniors' care homes.
