Although B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has previously explained that public health pays more attention to the seven day average of case counts rather than individual days, there are some encouraging signs when it comes to daily case counts.

For the third consecutive day, today's new case count remained below the 300 mark.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) pointed out in its weekly surveillance report for May 9 to 15, which was released today, that there was a 61 percent drop in new cases (for that week) since the peak in early April.

According to the report, case numbers also decreased in all five health regions, and hospital and intensive care unit admissions also declined.

What did remain the same was the number of deaths, with an average of 26 deaths per week.

However, the report also points out that for those 70 years and above, there has been “a large and sustained decline in the number of cases and deaths among residents of longterm care settings” and the number of deaths in this age group has “decreased substantially” to 21 deaths in that time period.

Coughing as assault

Yesterday, Upper Fraser Valley RCMP issued a reminder that intentionally coughing or spitting on other people is considered a criminal act under the criminal code of Canada.

In April and May, Chilliwack RCMP detained two individuals—a 27-year-old woman from Chilliwack and a 28-year-old man from Agassiz—who allegedly coughed on officers intentionally.

Neither individual exhibited any COVID-19 symptoms but, due to pandemic protocols, RCMP were required to monitor the health of the officers after the incident. The circumstances of the incident are being forwarded to the B.C. Prosecution Service for assessment of assault charges.

B.C. update: May 26

B.C. had 250 new cases (including one epi-linked case) today, according to a joint statement from B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix. By region, that includes:

• 109 new cases in Fraser Health (44 percent);
• 84 in Vancouver Coastal Health (34 percent);
• 40 in Interior Health (16 percent);
• nine in Island Health (four percent);
• eight in Northern Health (three percent);
• no one from outside of Canada.

With a drop of 202 active cases since yesterday, there are currently 3,580 active cases today.

Hospitalizations slightly decreased, with 296 individuals now in hospitals (five fewer than yesterday), and 97 of those patients in intensive care units (four more since yesterday).

Unfortunately, B.C. has had three new COVID-19 related deaths. A cumulative total of 1,683 people in B.C. have now died during the pandemic of COVID-19-related causes.

A cumulative total of 137,517 people have now recovered, which includes 455 recoveries since yesterday.

B.C. has recorded a total of 142,886 cases during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the B.C. immunization program is closing in on the three million mark. A total of 2,979,951 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines have now been administered to adults 18 and over in B.C., and 152,010 of those are second doses.

Outbreaks and exposures

More encouraging signs: none of the five regional health authorities listed any new healthcare or community outbreaks, and also did not list any new public exposure events.

Fraser Health listed Gold's Gym Langley (19989 81a Avenue) in Langley as being closed on May 25 due to COVID-19.

Loblaw listed Shoppers Drug Mart at 1960 Como Lake Avenue in Coquitlam as having one employee who tested positive and who last worked at the location on May 21.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) added the following four flights to its public exposure lists (for affected row information, visit the BCCDC website):

• May 18: WestJet 100, Vancouver to Calgary;
• May 20: Flair 8813, Calgary to Vancouver;
• May 20: North Cariboo Air 2012, Fort St. John to Nanaimo;
• May 21: WestJet 124, Vancouver to Calgary.