B.C. has never had a higher number of serious COVID-19 infections than it has right now, with a record 361 patients in hospital with infections, and a record 93 of those people in intensive care units.
The severity of cases is also clear given that 21 people have died overnight from the virus. That's the second largest daily death toll from COVID-19, after the 28 cases identified on December 10, that the government has provided. It brings the total number of deaths from the virus so far in the province to 668.
Some good news is that the 522 new cases of infections identified in the past day is the lowest number in more than a month – since November 9, when 462 cases were detected.
The new cases bring the total number of infections in B.C. since the virus was first identified here, on January 28, to 43,463.
Those actively fighting infections fell by 179, from a record 10,039, to 9,860 people. The vast majority of those have been told to stay home and self-isolate. Health officials are also keeping a close eye on 10,768 people, who they say have had known contact with people identified as infected.
More than 73.3% of those who have been infected, or 31,866 people, have recovered, while 890 people are unaccounted for, with health officials telling BIV that the most likely reason is that they left the province without alerting authorities.
Here is a breakdown of the new cases by health region:
• 84 (16%) in Vancouver Coastal Health;
• 338 (64.7%) in Fraser Health;
• seven (1.3%) in Island Health;
• 56 (10.7%) in Interior Health; and
• 37 (7%) in Northern Health.
"There has also been one new community outbreak at the Teck Resources Elkview and Fording River operations and a community cluster at Big White Ski Resort," provincial health officer Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a joint statement. '
"The outbreaks at Cambridge and Newton Elementary schools are over."
Another outbreak has appeared at Burnaby Hospital, while the outbreak at Langley Memorial Hospital's long-term care facility has been declared over, although an outbreak remains at the hospital.
The seven B.C. hospitals, or acute-care facilities, with active outbreaks are:
• University Hospital of Northern B.C. in Prince George.
• Saanich Peninsula Hospital in Saanichton;
• Langley Memorial Hospital in Langley;
• Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver;
• Richmond Hospital in Richmond;
• Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey; and
• Burnaby Hospital in Burnaby.
The seniors' facilities include 14 active outbreaks in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, at:
• Arbutus Care Centre in Vancouver;
• Banfield Pavilion, in Vancouver;
• Revera Capilano Care Centre in West Vancouver;
• Columbus Residence in Vancouver;
• Crofton Manor in Vancouver;
• Fraserview Intermediate Care Lodge in Richmond;
• German Canadian Benevolent Society Home in Vancouver
• Little Mountain Place in Vancouver;
• Renfrew Care Centre in Vancouver;
• Royal Arch Masonic Home long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• St. Judes Anglican Home in Vancouver;
• Three Links Care Centre long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• Villa Carital in Vancouver; and
• Villa Cathay Care Home in Vancouver.
The 35 outbreaks at seniors' facilities in the ​Fraser Health region include:
• Agassiz Seniors Community in Agassiz;
• Agecare Harmony Court Estates in Burnaby;
• Agecare Court Estates in Burnaby;
• Al Hogg Pavilion in White Rock;
• Amenida Seniors Community in Surrey;
• Baillie House long-term care home in Maple Ridge;
• Belvedere Care Centre in Coquitlam;
• Bradley Centre in Chilliwack;
• CareLife Fleetwood in Surrey;
• Chartwell Langley Gardens in Langley;
• Chilliwack Lifestyles in Chilliwack;
• Courtyard Terrace in Burnaby;
• Fellburn Care Centre long-term care facility in Burnaby;
• Finnish Manor in Burnaby;
• Fort Langley Seniors Community in Fort Langley;
• George Derby Centre in Burnaby;
• Good Samaritan Delta View Care Centre 2 long-term care facility in Delta;
• Harrison Pointe retirement home in Langley;
• Harrison at Elim Village in Surrey;
• Hilton Villa Care Centre in Surrey;
• Hollyrood Manor long-term care home in Maple Ridge;
• Lakeshore Care Centre in Coquitlam;
• Langley Gardens in Langley;
• Laurel Place long-term care facility in Surrey;
• Menno Home in Abbotsford;
• Morgan Place Care Society in Surrey;
• Northcrest Care Centre in Delta;
• Peace Arch Hospital Foundation Lodge in Surrey;
• PICS Assisted Living in Surrey;
• Queen's Park Care Centre in New Westminster;
• Royal City Manor in New Westminster;
• St. Michael's Centre in Burnaby;
• Tabor Home in Abbotsford;
• The Residence at Clayton Heights in Surrey; and
• White Rock Senior Village in White Rock.
The province had said that the outbreak at Rotary Manor Dawson Creek in Dawson Creek was over, but the home has reappeared in the province's list of facilities with outbreaks.
The other three outbreaks at seniors' homes listed in Northern Health are:
• North Peace Seniors Housing Society buildings in Fort St. John;
• Gateway House long-term care home in Prince George; and
• Jubilee Lodge in Prince George.
The Interior Health region has four seniors' facility outbreaks, at:
• McKinney Place Residential Care Facility in Oliver;
• Mountainview Village in Kelowna;
• Sun Pointe Village in Kelowna; and
• Village by the Station in Penticton.
@GlenKorstrom
