The number of people in B.C. actively battling COVID-19 infections has continued to trend lower, with only 5,045 individuals identified as having the virus that spawned a global pandemic but not yet being listed as having recovered, or to have died.
That is the lowest number since November 9, when 4,891 people had active infections.
That good news comes as new data shows that the province's vaccination efforts have started to sputter. Provincial health officer Bonnie Henry said January 11 that as of January 10, 59,902 people in B.C. had been vaccinated. A joint statement that she and Health Minister Adrian Dix released January 12, said "to date, 62,294 people have received a COVID-19 vaccine in British Columbia."
That means that only 2,392 people were vaccinated in the past 48 hours – the lowest number for a two-day period since December 22 and 23, when a total of 1,959 people were vaccinated.
"Our focus is to ensure we safely deliver the vaccines as quickly as possible to B.C. communities, using all available supply," Henry and Dix said in the statement.
Some other good news is that the number of new infections, at 446, has stayed much lower than it has been in recent weeks. There are 10 more people listed as being hospitalized today than there were yesterday. That means that there are 368 people with infections severe enough to have to be in those institutions, with 72 of those in intensive care units.
Nine more people died from the virus overnight in B.C.. making the death toll 1,019 people, since the first death was recorded on March 9.
More than 87.3%, or 51,144 people, have recovered, out of the 58,553 people who have been infected since the first case in the province was detected on January 28, 2020.
Health officials are monitoring 7,238 people for symptoms because those individuals have had known exposure to someone identified as having been infected. That number is the lowest total since November 4, and is substantially lower than the 12,016 people being monitored on November 13.
Here is a breakdown of where the 446 new cases were identified:
• 96 people in Vancouver Coastal Health (19.4%);
• 223 people in Fraser Health (50%);
• 14 in Island Health (3.1%);
• 67 in Interior Health (15%);
• 46 in Northern Health (10.3%); and
• no new cases of in individuals who reside outside the province.
"We have had one new health-care facility outbreak at Mount St. Joseph's Hospital," Henry and Dix said.
That means that there are now 11 hospitals with active COVID-19 outbreaks. They are:
• Mount St. Joseph's Hospital in Vancouver;
• St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver;
• Burnaby Hospital in Burnaby;
• Chilliwack General Hospital in Chilliwack;
• Langley Memorial Hospital in Langley;
• Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver;
• Richmond Hospital in Richmond;
• Ridge Meadows Hospital in Maple Ridge;
• Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey;
• Vancouver General Hospital in Vancouver; and
• University Hospital of Northern B.C. in Prince George.
The 11 active outbreaks at seniors' living facilities in Vancouver Coastal Health are at:
• Arbutus Care Centre in Vancouver;
• Braddan Private Hospital in Vancouver;
• Capilano Care Centre in West Vancouver;
• Columbus Residence in Vancouver;
• Fraserview Intermediate Care Lodge in Richmond;
• German Canadian Benevolent Society Home in Vancouver;
• Little Mountain Place in Vancouver;
• Minoru Residence in Richmond;
• Renfrew Care Centre in Vancouver;
• Sunrise of Vancouver in Vancouver; and
• Villa Cathay in Vancouver.
The 25 active outbreaks at seniors' living facilities in Fraser Health are at:
• Agecare Harmony Court Care Centre in Burnaby;
• Brookside Lodge in Surrey;
• Evergreen Baptist Care Society in White Rock;
• Fleetwood Villa in Surrey;
• George Derby Centre in Burnaby;
• Good Samaritan Delta View Care Centre in Delta;
• Guildford Seniors' Village in Surrey;
• Hilton Villa Seniors Community in Surrey;
• Kin Village in Tsawwassen;
• Kin Village West Court in Tsawwassen;
• Langley Memorial Hospital long term care - Cedar Hill in Langley;
• Laurel Place in Surrey;
• Madison Care Centre in Coquitlam;
• Menno Home in Abbotsford;
• Morgan Place Care Facility in Surrey
• Nicola Lodge in Port Coquitlam;
• Peace Arch Hospital Foundation Lodge in White Rock;
• Queen's Park Care Centre in New Westminster;
• Rideau Retirement Residence in Burnaby;
• Royal City Manor in New Westminster;
• St. Michael's Centre Extended Care in Burnaby;
• Suncreek Village in Surrey;
• The Emerald at Elim Village in Surrey;
• The Harrison at Elim Village in Surrey; and
• The Mayfair Seniors Living & Care in Abbotsford.
The two active outbreaks at seniors' living facilities in Northern Health are at Jubilee Lodge in Prince George and Williams Lake Seniors Village in Williams Lake.
The eight active outbreaks at seniors' living facilities in Interior Health are at:
• Creekside Landing in Vernon;
• Heritage Retirement Residence in West Kelowna;
• Heritage Square in Vernon;
• McKinney Place in Oliver;
• Mountainview Village in Kelowna;
• Noric House in Vernon;
• Sunnybank Retirement Home in Oliver; and
• Village by the Station in Penticton.
In Island Health, there are four seniors' facilities with an active outbreak of COVID-19:
• Chartwell Malaspina Care Residence in Nanaimo;
• Gatehouse Group Home in Victoria;
• Hart House in Victoria; and
• Ts’i’ts’uwatul’ Lelum assisted-living facility in Duncan.
gkorstrom@biv.com
@GlenKorstrom
