COVID-19 in B.C.: Record new cases; 6 healthcare outbreaks; 43 schools, 11 flights, and more with new exposures

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      British Columbia’s reputation for maintaining its case numbers under control is slipping away as case counts soar, sometimes rivalling or surpassing other Canadian jurisdictions.

      The province has hit yet another record high number of new cases, and numbers in all other categories—except for intensive care unit patients—continue to climb.

      There are six new healthcare outbreaks, including one at a hospital with five staff members infected; and one restaurant, a seniors centre, five stores, 11 flights, and 43 schools with new exposure events.

      B.C. COVID-19 update: November 12

      Henry provided updates for the past two-time periods since the last update was given on November 10.

      From November 10 to 11, there were 536 new cases, followed by 594 new cases from November 11 to 12, for a total of 1,130 new cases over two days.

      By region, that includes:

      • 808 new cases in Fraser Health;
      • 249 in Vancouver Coastal Health;
      • 34 in Interior Health;
      • 23 in Northern Health;
      • 16 in Island Health;
      • none among people from outside Canada.

      The 594 new cases on reported today is a new record high, surpassing the previous record of 589 cases on November 6.

      She also pointed out that there have been 3,121 new cases from November 1 to 7, which is the highest number of new cases for one week.

      Active cases have increased by 660 people since November 10 to the current total of 5,793 active cases.

      Public health is monitoring 11,091 people (for exposure to confirmed cases), which a surge of 1,310 people since November 10.

      Currently, there are 155 people in hospital (which is 13 more people than November 10), with 44 of those patients in intensive care units (two less than November 10).

      Unfortunately, there have been four new deaths—three in longterm care facilities and one in the community—for a cumulative total of 288 deaths in B.C. over the course of the pandemic so far.

      A total of 14,089 people have now recovered.

      B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix
      Province of British Columbia

      The cumulative total number of cases during the pandemic is now at 20,368 cases, which includes:

      • 12,390 cases in Fraser Health;
      • 6,107 in Vancouver Coastal Health;
      • 959 in Interior Health;
      • 499 in Northern Health;
      • 324 in Island Health;
      • 89 people from outside Canada.
      Finnish Manor

      Outbreaks and public exposures

      Six new healthcare outbreaks were announced over the past two days.

      Island Health announced that the Transitional Care Unit at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (1200 Dufferin Crescent) had an outbreak on November 11, in which five staff members tested positive. The unit has been closed to admissions and visitors.

      The emergency department remains open, and other areas of the hospital remain unaffected.

      This is Vancouver Island’s first outbreak during the pandemic.

      Fraser Health announced five outbreaks at:

      • Chartwell Langley Gardens (8888 202 Street) in Langley, which has one resident in longterm care who has tested positive;
      • The Harrison at Elim Village (9025 160 Street) in Surrey, which had an outbreak back in March, where a staff member tested positive;
      • Peace Portal Seniors Village (15441 16 Avenue) in Surrey, which previously had an outbreak on September 25, where one resident has tested positive.
      • Finnish Manor (3460 Kalyk Avenue) in Burnaby has had one resident test positive;
      • Dania Home (4175 Norland Avenue) in Burnaby, which had a previous outbreak on July 31, has had two staff members test positive.

      There are three healthcare outbreaks declared over:

      • Mayfair Terrace Retirement Residence in Port Coquitlam;
      • CareLife Fleetwood in Surrey;
      • St. Michael’s Centre in Burnaby.

      At the moment, there is now a total of 41 healthcare outbreaks—35 in longterm care facilities and six in acute care facilities.

      There has been a total of 1,325 cases (764 residents and 561 staff) involved in healthcare outbreaks.

      Longhorn Saloon

      Meanwhile, Vancouver Coastal Health previously added exposure events at two restaurants in Whistler—Earls Kitchen and Bar and Buffalo Bill’s Bar and Grill with dates ranging from October 31 to November 6.

      A third restaurant has since been added: The Longhorn Saloon (4280 Mountain Square) in Whistler, B.C., with exposures on October 31 and from November 2 to 5 during operating hours.

      Loblaw reported five stores with staff member who tested positive.

      Real Canadian Superstore had three stores with employees who tested positive:

      • three employees at the 8195 Scott Street location in Delta, who last worked there on November 1, 4, and 6;
      • one employee at the 19851 Willowbrook Drive location in Langley, who last worked there on November 6.
      • one employee at the 2280 Baron Road location in Kelowna, who last worked there on November 1.

      An employee who tested positive last worked at Wholesale Club (5335 Kingsway) in Burnaby on November 6.

      An employee at a Shoppers Drug Mart in Surrey last worked at the 12080 Nordel Way on November 10.

      The District of West Vancouver posted a notice on November 10 that a participant in a fitness class at the Seniors' Activity Centre (695 21st Street) on November 2 has tested positive. Specific areas have undergone enhanced cleaning but the centre remains open.

      The B.C. Centre for Disease Control added 11 flights confirmed with COVID-19 to its lists:

      • October 22: Lufthansa 492, Frankfurt to Vancouver;
      • October 29: Air Canada/Jazz 8084, Seattle to Vancouver;
      • October 30: Aeromexico 696, Mexico City to Vancouver;
      • October 30: Air Canada 114, Vancouver to Toronto;
      • November 2: Flair 8157, Toronto to Vancouver;
      • November 3: Air Canada 8418, Vancouver to Kelowna;
      • November 3: WestJet 706, Vancouver to Toronto;
      • November 4: United Airlines 1641, Denver to Vancouver;
      • November 4, WestJet Flight 320, Vancouver to Edmonton;
      • November 5: WestJet 0129, Calgary to Vancouver;
      • November 9, Air Canada Flight 123, Toronto to Vancouver.

      Affected row information can be found at the BCCDC website.

      John Barsby Secondary

      School exposures

      Vancouver Coastal Health and Northern Health didn’t add any schools with new exposure events.

      Over the past two days, other regional authorities added 43 schools with new exposures:

      Island Health added two schools with new exposures:

      • Dover Bay Secondary (6135 McGirr Road) in Nanaimo, which previously had an exposure event from November 2 and 5, has added November 6 as an exposure date;
      • John Barsby Secondary (550 Seventh Street) also in Nanaimo had an exposure event from November 5 to 6.

      Interior Health added six schools with new exposures.

      In Vernon, Mission Hill Elementary School (1510 36th Street) had exposures from November 9 to 10.

      In Kelowna, there were five schools with new exposure dates:

      • École Élémentaire Casorso Elementary School (3675 Casorso Road) had exposures from November 5 to 6;
      • Kelowna Secondary School (1079 Raymer Avenue)—which previously had an exposure event from October 19 to 21; a second case on October 21; a third exposure event from October 28 to 30; and four new cases from October 2 to 4—has added October 5 to 6 as new exposure dates; 
      • École KLO Middle School (3130 Gordon Drive), which had previous exposures on October 30 and November 2, had new exposures from November 3 to 6 and 8;
      • École Dr. Knox Middle School (121 Drysdale Boulevard), which had a previous exposure on November 2, had a new exposure on November 6;
      • Heritage Christian School (907 Badke Road) had exposures from November 2 to 4.
      Mission Hill Elementary School

      Fraser Health added 35 schools with new exposure dates.

      In Abbotsford, Rick Hansen Secondary (31150 Blueridge Drive)—which previously had exposures on October 6, 7, and 13; from October 14 to 16; and on November 2—has added November 3 and 4.

      In Burnaby, two schools had new exposures:

      • Gilpin Elementary (5490 Eglinton Street) had an exposure on November 2;
      • Moscrop Secondary (4433 Moscrop Street) had exposures from November 3 to 4.

      In Coquitlam, two schools also had new exposures:

      • Dr. Charles Best Secondary (2525 Como Lake Avenue) had an exposure event from November 2 to 4;
      • Suwa'lkh School (1432 Brunette Avenue) had an exposure on November 5.

      In Chilliwack, Chilliwack Secondary (46363 Yale Road), which previously had exposure events from September 22 to 24 and from October 26 to 29, has added November 3 to 5.

      In Delta, eight schools had new exposures:

      • Delview Secondary (9111 116 Street) had an exposure on October 29;
      • Gray Elementary (10855 80 Avenue) had an exposure on November 5;
      • Holly Elementary (4625 62 Street) had an exposure on November 4;
      • Jarvis Traditional Elementary (7670 118 Street), which had previous exposures on October 5 and 7, had a new exposure event from November 2 to 5;
      • M.B. Sanford Elementary (7318 143 Street) had exposures from November 4 to 6;
      • McCloskey Elementary (11531 80 Avenue) had an exposure on November 2;
      • Sands Secondary (10840 82 Avenue), which had a previous exposure event from October 19 to 22, had another exposure on November 5;
      • Seaquam Secondary (11584 Lyon Road) had an exposure on November 2.

      In Aggasiz, Agassiz Elementary-Secondary (7110 Cheam Avenue) had an exposure event from November 4 to 6.

      In Langley, two schools had new dates:

      • R.C. Garnett Demonstration Elementary (7096 201 Street) had an exposure on November 2;
      • Walnut Grove Secondary (8919 Walnut Grove Drive), which previously had exposures from October 20 to 22, had a new exposure event from November 2 to 3.

      In Maple Ridge, Samuel Robertson Technical (10445 245th Street)—which had previous exposure events from October 26 to 27, October 28 to 29, and on October 30—added November 6 as a new exposure date.

      In New Westminster, two schools had new dates:

      • Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary (1714 8th Avenue)—which had previous exposures from September 14 to 15September 24 to 25October 2 and 30—had a new exposure on November 2.
      • Al-Hidayah School (7 6th Street) had an exposure on November 9.
      Frost Road Elementary

      In Surrey, 15 schools had new exposures:

      • David Brankin Elementary (9160 128 Street), which previously had an exposure event from October 1 to 2, added November 2 as a new exposure date;
      • Frank Hurt Secondary (13940 77th Avenue) in Surrey—which previously had exposures from October 1 to 2; from October 5 to 9; from October 13 to 16; on October 19, 21, and 22; and from November 2 to 3—has added November 5 as an exposure date; 
      • Frost Road Elementary (8606 162 Street) had an exposure on November 5;
      • Hazelgrove Elementary (7057 191 Street) had an exposure on October 30;
      • Kwantlen Park Secondary (10441 132 Street)—which had previous exposures from October 13 to 14 and from October 21 to 22—added November 2 to 3 as exposure dates;
      • L.A. Matheson Secondary (9484 122 Street), which had previous exposures on September 16 and October 9, had an exposure event from November 2 to 3;
      • McLeod Road Traditional (6325 142 Street) had an exposure on November 5;
      • Newton Elementary (13359 81 Avenue), which previously had exposures from October 27 to 29, had a new exposure on November 1;
      • North Ridge Elementary (13460 62nd Avenue), which had previous exposure incidents on September 29 and on October 13, had a new exposure on November 2;
      • North Surrey Secondary (15945 96 Avenue), which previously had incidents on September 14 and from September 24 to 25, added November 2 as an exposure date;
      • École Panorama Ridge Secondary (13220 64 Avenue)—which previously had exposures on September 8 and 10; from September 30 to October 1; from October 6 to 9 and 13 to 15; and from October 19 to 20—had added November 3;
      • Princess Margaret Secondary (12870 72nd Avenue)—which previously had exposures on September 11; on October 12, 15, and 16; and on October 26 and 29—had a new exposure event from November 2 to 5;
      • Queen Elizabeth Secondary School (9457 King George Boulevard)—which previously had exposures on September 14; from October 14 to 16; and from October 19, 21, and 22—has added October 29 to 30 and November 3 to 5 as dates;
      • Strawberry Hill Elementary, which had previous exposures from September 29 to 30, has had new exposures from November 4 to 5;
      • Guru Angad Dev Elementary (13479 77 Avenue), which had previous exposures on October 2 and 9, added October 29 to 30 and November 2 to 4 as dates.
      You can follow Craig Takeuchi on Twitter at @cinecraig or on Facebook.

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