With the number of newly detected COVID-19 infections in B.C. surpassing 600 for the first time, and hospitalizations at a record high, there is more evidence that the extent of the deadly virus in the province remains more present than ever.
The province recorded, in the past 24 hours, 617 new cases of the virus that has caused a global pandemic, for a total of 20,985 cases since the disease was first detected in B.C. in late January.
The number of those hospitalized as a result of infections hit a record high for the second day in a row, and there are now 167 people in B.C. hospitals. Health Minister Adrian Dix, in press briefings, has said multiple times this week that the hospital system has plenty more capacity to handle COVID-19 patients.
Of those hospitalized, 50 are in intensive care units (ICU) – the highest number since April 21, when 51 patients were in ICU. The situation in ICU was at its worst on April 6, when 72 COVID-19 patients were being treated in those units.Â
Two people died from the disease in the past day, pushing up the province's death toll from the virus to 290.
Some good news is that the number of people actively battling infections shrunk a bit overnight. There are 5,579 people with active infections, down from a record 5,793 people yesterday. The vast majority of those people have been told to self-isolate at home.
More than 71% of all of those who have been infected in the province (14,901) have recovered. This leaves 215 people unaccounted for, with the province telling BIV that the most likely explanation is that they left the province without alerting health officials on their status.Â
The Fraser Valley, and particularly Surrey, remains the hardest hit region for new COVID-19 infections.
Of the new infections, there were:
• 130 in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Coastal Health;
• 424 in Fraser Health;
• 16 in Island Health;
• 42 in Interior Health; and
• five in Northern Health.
New health-care facility outbreaks have been detected at:
• Sun Pointe Village in Kelowna;
• Revera Capilano Care Centre in West Vancouver; and
• Fraserview Intermediate Care Lodge in Richmond.
Outbreaks have been declared over at:
• Queens Park Hospital in New Westminster;
• Lakeview Care Centre in Vancouver;
• Yaletown House in Vancouver; and
• St. Michael's Centre, Dix and provincial health officer Bonnie Henry said in a joint statement.
They added that there have been no new community outbreaks, and the outbreaks at Coast Spas and Pace Processing are now over.
"This weekend, we encourage everyone to have a safe start to Diwali celebrations by staying home, limiting your travel and connecting virtually instead," they said. "Now is the time for everyone, right across our province, to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 – to be leaders by working together with a common purpose to push our curve back down."
There are now 41 active outbreaks in the healthcare system including six that are in acute-care sites, or hospitals. The remaining 35 outbreaks are at long-term care, or assisted-living facilities, for seniors.
The eight active outbreaks in long-term care, or assisted-living facilities, in the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Coastal Health region include:
• Haro Park Centre long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• Revera Capilano Care Centre in West Vancouver;
• Fraserview Intermediate Care Lodge in Richmond;
• Louis Brier Home & Hospital in Vancouver;
• Royal Arch Masonic Home long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• Three Links Care Centre long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• Banfield Pavilion, the 4th Floor West long-term care facility, in Vancouver; and
• Pinegrove Place in Richmond.
The 24 outbreaks at seniors' facilities in the ​Fraser Health region include:
• Agassiz Seniors Community in Agassiz;
• Amenida Seniors Community in Surrey;
• Belvedere Care Centre in Coquitlam;
• Chartwell Langley Gardens in Langley;
• Dania Home in Burnaby;
• Evergreen Baptist Care Society long-term care facility in White Rock;
• Fellburn Care Centre long-term care facility in Burnaby;
• Finnish Manor in Burnaby;
• Fort Langley Seniors Community in Fort Langley;
• Good Samaritan Delta View Care Center 2 long-term care facility in Delta;
• Harrison Pointe retirement home in Langley;
• The Harrison at Elim Village in Surrey;
• Hawthorne Seniors Care Community long-term care in Port Coquitlam;
• Hawthorne Seniors Care Community assisted living in Port Coquitlam;
• Hollyrood Manor long-term care home in Maple Ridge;
• Laurel Place long-term care facility in Surrey;
• Normanna in Burnaby;
• Northcrest Care Centre in Delta;
• Peace Portal Seniuors Village in Surrey;
• Rosemary Heights Seniors Village independent-, assisted- and long-term care facility in Surrey;
• Suncreek Village in Surrey;
• Tabor Home in Abbotsford;
• The Residence in Mission; and
• White Rock Senior Village in White Rock.
Other seniors' homes with outbreaks are the Rotary Manor Dawson Creek facility in Dawson Creek, in Northern Health; and Village at Mill Creek in Kelowna, in the Interior Health region.
