Oldtimers hockey team spreads virus in rural B.C.

An old-timers hockey team travelled from the Interior Health region into Alberta and returned with sick players, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Wednesday.

Those players then spread the disease to dozens of people, including family and workmates.

“There's a hockey team in the Interior that travelled to Alberta and has come back, and now there are dozens of people who are infected and it has spread in the community,” Henry said.

“I'm not going to give them away because I understand and what I'm hearing from my colleagues around the province, is it's not unique. But I will say it was an adult hockey team that felt it was important to continue their travel and games across the border.”

Henry wouldn't reveal when the team travelled to Alberta, but said the disease in the home community was now into its third chain of transmission.

“I can tell you that it was several dozen families that were infected. Several businesses affected, longterm care was affected,” she said.

There is no provincial health order in place banning travel within B.C. or between the provinces. Instead, Henry is relying on a recommendation that people don't travel.

“I'm asking everybody in B.C. to consider the importance of not travelling right now unless it is essential for work or for medical care. This includes within B.C. and between provinces,” she said.

“I cannot stop you by an order of getting into your car or going onto a plane. But I'm asking in the strongest of terms for us to stay put, to stay in our communities and to protect our communities.”

While the lion's share of COVID-19 cases are being reported in the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health regions, Henry said those regions were seeing a flattening of daily cases reported, while the Interior and Northern Health regions were seeing cases grow relatively.

Henry said Wednesday there were 57 active outbreaks in health care facilities, including the three most recent ones at Royal City Manor in New Westminster, Saanich Peninsula Hospital in Saanichton, and the West Coast General Hospital in Port Alberni.

Henry also reported two new community outbreaks — at the Cove Temporary Shelter in Surrey and the Millennium Pacific Greenhouse in Delta, where several workers are sick.

She said 10,201 people were isolating at home after being exposed to COVID-19.

Henry said there would be no mandatory vaccination order in B.C. once a vaccine arrives.

“I have full confidence these are going to be effective and safe vaccines when they are ready and approved for use here in Canada.”