VICTORIA — British Columbia's health minister is acknowledging the sacrifices being made by people with serious medical conditions and those whose surgeries have been cancelled to free up hospital resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adrian Dix said Wednesday it also highlights the need for everyone to do their part by following public health advice to fight the novel coronavirus.
"That requires, of those of us who maybe are sacrificing less than that, an absolute commitment," said Dix, adding that more than 13,900 scheduled surgeries have been cancelled so far.
Dix said 8,221 surgeries have been completed since the province began cancelling elective surgeries in mid-March. A little more than half of those were scheduled urgent surgeries and the remainder were unscheduled emergency surgeries, he said.
The province reported 27 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday for a total of 1,517, including 942 people who have recovered.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said 134 people were in hospital, including 58 in critical or intensive care. Three more residents of long-term care homes have died after contracting the virus, bringing the death toll in B.C. to 72.
Dix said it's difficult for family members to visit their loved ones in care homes because of physical distancing measures.
"It makes, I think, the grief many people are experiencing right now with people who have passed away in long-term care homes or assisted living homes even worse because the personal contact, the final moments, sometimes aren't there," he said.
Henry said there has been an additional outbreak at the South Granville Park Lodge care home in Vancouver, meaning 21 long-term care homes or assisted-living facilities in B.C. have outbreaks.
In total, Henry said residents and staff at those facilities account for 286 of the COVID-19 cases in B.C.
Henry also reported three cases of COVID-19 among a group of temporary foreign workers at a plant nursery in West Kelowna, where 23 people have tested positive.
One case remained at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver, and Henry said the official number of cases at a federal medium-security prison in Mission was still at 41, but testing is ongoing and cases are pending.
Seven people from the Mission Institution were hospitalized and Henry said efforts are ongoing by the province, the Fraser Health Authority and correctional services to "beef up" the outbreak response.
The regional hospital in Abbotsford has developed a dedicated unit to ensure people can be safely and securely cared for if necessary, she said.
A mobile medical unit that's been set up alongside the alternative care site at the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Convention Centre will also be sent to the Abbotsford area to support the response and management of the outbreak at the prison in Mission, Henry added.
— By Brenna Owen in Vancouver
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2020.
The Canadian Press
