Chilliwack/Vancouver – On Thursday, Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, issued the following joint statement regarding updates on the COVID-19 response in British Columbia:
“Today, we are reporting a total of 800 new cases, including six epi-linked cases, for a total of 94,769 cases in British Columbia.
“There are 5,856 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, with 9,964 people under public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases. A further 87,351 people who tested positive have recovered.
“Of the active cases, 306 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 79 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
“Since we last reported, we have had 264 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 381 new cases in the Fraser Health region, 45 in the Island Health region, 50 in the Interior Health region, 58 in the Northern Health region and two new cases of people who reside outside of Canada.
“There have been 191 new confirmed COVID-19 cases that are variants of concern in our province, for a total of 1,772 cases. Of the total cases, 215 are active and the remaining people have recovered. This includes 1,549 cases of the B.1.1.7 (U.K.) variant, 47 cases of the B.1.351 (South Africa) variant and 176 cases of the P.1 (Brazil) variant.
“To date, 610,671 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca-SII COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in B.C., 87,212 of which are second doses. Vaccine appointment bookings are now open for people 75 or older, and Indigenous peoples over age 55.
Then on Friday – Reporting 908 new cases, for a total of 95,677 cases in British Columbia.
“There are 6,245 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, with 9,996 people under public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases. A further 87,866 people who tested positive have recovered.
“Of the active cases, 294 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 81 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
“Since we last reported, we have had 294 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 438 new cases in the Fraser Health region, 55 in the Island Health region, 43 in the Interior Health region, 78 in the Northern Health region and no new cases of people who reside outside of Canada.
“There have been 140 new confirmed COVID-19 cases that are variants of concern in our province, for a total of 1,912 cases. Of the total cases, 258 are active and the remaining people have recovered. This includes 1,666 cases of the B.1.1.7 (U.K.) variant, 47 cases of the B.1.351 (South Africa) variant and 199 cases of the P.1 (Brazil) variant.
“To date, 637,856 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca-SII COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in B.C., 87,233 of which are second doses.
Four patients at Chilliwack General Hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 as part of this outbreak. The outbreak is limited to one unit, which is temporarily closed to admissions.
Upon declaring the outbreak, Fraser Health immediately implemented precautions, including enhanced cleaning as well as contact tracing to protect the health of all staff, medical staff, and patients.
The emergency department at Chilliwack General Hospital remains open and there has been no impact to any other areas of the hospital.
Fraser Health has notified all patients on the affected unit about the outbreak, and in addition, families of patients who are unable to share this information have been informed.
This comes barely three days after the Hospital was cleared of a month long COVID concern.
Meanwhile
Fraser Health has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Abbotsford Regional Hospital after evidence of transmission in a medicine unit.
Four patients at Abbotsford Regional Hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 as part of this outbreak. The outbreak is limited to one unit, which is temporarily closed to admissions.
As well, an outbreak at Mission Memorial Hospital but Fraser Health has yet to report on how many patients.
