`COVID STORM' ENGULFS B.C.
Death toll nears 400 as cases pass 30,000 mark
Provincial health officials confirmed 911 new cases Friday, another one-day high, and a fittingly grim number amid what Dr. Bonnie Henry called “our COVID storm.”
Total cases provincewide have crossed the 30,000 mark — 30,884 British Columbians have now tested positive for the coronavirus — and with 11 additional deaths reported during Friday's media availability with Health Minister Adrian Dix and Henry, the provincial health officer, B.C. now sits poised to hit 400 deaths over the weekend. “We are in a pandemic storm,” Henry said, “and now we are facing the storm surge.”
Just as data modelling warned two weeks ago, B.C. is edging closer to 1,000 cases a day by December. More than once this week, including Thursday, the province topped its daily case record, and Friday marked the fifth consecutive day that health officials have announced more than 10 fatalities. It has been the deadliest week of the pandemic so far in B.C.
Most of the deaths reported Friday involved individuals living in long-term care, Henry said, fighting back tears. The majority of the 395 dead in B.C. from the coronavirus have been in their 70s or 80s.
There are now 59 active outbreaks in B.C.'S health care system, including four care homes in the Fraser Health region reporting more than 50 cases of COVID-19.
New outbreaks were declared Friday at the German-canadian Benevolent Society Care Home, the Villa Cathay Care Home and Morgan Place, while outbreaks at the Peace Portal Seniors Village and the Kiwanis Care Centre have been declared over.
More than 300 British Columbians are now being treated for the coronavirus in hospital, another milestone, as hospitalizations rose Friday to 301, including 69 in intensive care.
In a sobering update Friday, Henry stressed the high level of community transmission the province is seeing, compared with the first wave of COVID-19 in the spring.
“This is different than what we were experiencing before,” she said. “This means that any location that was able to safely have gatherings even a few weeks ago, including temples, churches, gurdwaras and other important, critical religious venues, are not safe.”
Henry added that these locations aren't necessarily doing anything wrong. B.C.'S level of risk has simply gone up.
In addition to the 7,899 active coronavirus cases in the province, another 10,430 people are currently under active public health monitoring due to close contact with a known COVID-19 case.
Henry also stressed the urgent need for residents to abide by provincial health orders limiting social gatherings, and she expressed her dismay at altercations between staff members and customers who flout the mandatory mask order in public spaces. It's a layer of protection for everybody and courtesy to those around you, she said. “If you are opposed to wearing a mask, then I ask you to shop online, order takeout, or stay outside or stay at home, and not put other people at risk.”
Henry and Dix said they will speak more on restrictions for the Christmas season next week.
Asked about when immunizations might begin in the province, with at least two pharmaceutical companies reportedly close to approval, Henry said she expects B.C. will see the vaccine in early 2021.
“We do remember that every storm ends, and that the surges wane,” Henry said. “Our focus right now is on doing that.”