COVID-19 in B.C.: 1,900 cases and 17 deaths over three days; 69 schools with exposures; cinemas must close; and more

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      Update (November 26):

      Due to data error from Fraser Health, B.C. announced corrected case counts for Fraser Health and the province. For more on the data correction, see this article

      Original article (November 23):

      Today’s B.C. COVID-19 update provided grim and sobering news.

      New case counts remained high again and B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix called the large number of deaths over the weekend a “profound loss”.

      There were also six healthcare outbreaks, three public exposure events (at a pub, spa, and gym), 12 flights and four supermarkets with confirmed cases, and 69 schools with new exposures.

      Health order clarifications

      In response to the numerous questions she has received about the extended and expanded health orders she announced on November 19, Henry asked people to focus on the intent of the health orders, on “what we are trying to do” to address the pandemic, which is to reduce social interactions as much as possible.

      Instead of trying to find “where the gaps are, where the shortcuts area” or workarounds, she is asking everyone on “making a difference today”. 

      Although cinemas remained open over the weekend, it appears there was misunderstanding of Henry’s health orders. Henry clarified that all movie theatres and cinemas were in fact included and must close down.

      She added that previously approved events including the Bright Nights Christmas Train in Stanley Park, VanDusen Festival of Lights in Vancouver, and Butchart Gardens light display in Victoria, and more, are also suspended.

      She said these new orders do not discriminate between indoor and outdoor events in order to put “everything on pause” in order to prevent any gatherings or congregations of people.

      Although she said there may be potential for some low-risk events to restart in the coming weeks, she said everyone needs to focus on reducing social interactions while they monitor the numbers.

      She said one of the reasons why restaurants aren’t being included is because they remain important for providing meals and that they can operate with safety plans in place.

      In addition, she said that sports need to be somewhere in between Phase 2 and 3 of the reopening plan for sports—she added that they are working with Via Sport on guidelines that will be released soon.

      The current health orders remain in place until December 7.

      B.C. update: November 20 to 23

      Henry announced the new cases over the past three time periods:

      • November 20 to 21: 713 new cases;
      • November 21 to 22: 626 new cases;
      • November 22 to 23: 594 new cases.

      Over the three time periods, there was a total of 1,933 new cases, which include 11 epi-linked cases.

      By region, there were:

      • 1,304 new cases in Fraser Health;
      • 414 in Vancouver Coastal Health;
      • 104 in Interior Health;
      • 61 in Northern Health;
      • 48 in Island Health;
      • two people from outside Canada.

      Currently, there are 7,360 active cases, which is an increase of 238 cases since the last update on November 20.

      Hospitalization continue to increase, with 277 people now in hospital (50 more people than on November 20), and 59 of those patients in intensive care units (two patients more than November 20).

      Public health is monitoring 10,200 people (for exposure to confirmed cases)—an increase of 198 people since November 20.

      Tragically, there have been 17 people who have died over the past three time periods, which is one of the largest numbers of fatalities over a three-day period. Henry said the majority of the individuals who died were seniors.

      Dix explained that included four deaths on November 21, eight deaths on November 22, and five deaths today.

      A total of 348 people have now died during the pandemic.

      A total of 19,069 people have recovered.

      B.C. has reported a cumulative total number of 27,407 cases, which includes:

      • 17,046 in Fraser Health;
      • 7,818 in Vancouver Coastal Health;
      • 1,307 in Interior Health;
      • 649 in Northern Health;
      • 494 in Island Health;
      • 93 people from outside Canada.
      B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix
      Province of British Columbia

      Outbreaks and exposures

      There are six new healthcare outbreaks:

      • North Peace Seniors Housing Society (9816 108 Avenue) apartments in Fort St. John—Northern Health declared the outbreak on November 22 and confirmed six cases among apartment residents today;
      • Queen's Park Care Centre (315 McBride Boulevard) in New Westminster, where Fraser Health stated one resident has tested positive;
      • Care Life Fleetwood (8265 159th Street) in Surrey where Fraser Health stated that one resident has tested positive;
      • Sunset Manor (2–8920 Broadway Street) assisted-living residence in Surrey, where Fraser Health said that two staff members have tested positive;
      • Renfrew Care Centre (1880 Renfrew Street) in Vancouver, where Vancouver Coastal health imposed restrictions on November 18;
      • Lions Gate Hospital (231 15th Street East) in North Vancouver—Vancouver Coastal Health had imposed restrictions on November 19 and stated on November 20 that patients in one unit tested positive but did not specify how many. The emergency department remains open.

      Two healthcare outbreaks have been declared over:

      • Evergreen Baptist Care Society in White Rock;
      • Nanaimo General Hospital in Nanaimo.

      Active outbreaks are now at 60 healthcare facilities, which includes 54 longterm care facilities and six acute care units.

      Henry said there are 970 active cases involved in healthcare outbreaks, including 583 residents and 365 staff.

      Fraser Health listed two public exposure events.

      One was at Haven Nails and Spa (6544 Hastings Street) in Burnaby during operational hours from November 14 to 17.

      The other was at Gritt Athletics (20445 62 Avenue) in Langley during operational hours.

      Island Health listed a public exposure event at Irish Times Pub (1200 Government Street) in Victoria between 5 and 8:30 p.m. on November 13.

      Sobeys announced that an employee who tested positive last worked at the Chalo FreshCo at 7165 138th Street in Surrey on November 13.

      Loblaws had two stores with staff members who tested positive:

      • an employee who tested positive last worked on November 16 at Sewak's No Frills (1971 Lougheed Highway) in Port Coquitlam;
      • an employee who tested positive last worked on November 20 at Shoppers Drug Mart (45800 Promontory Road) in Chilliwack.

      T&T Supermarket reported its Coquitlam location (2740–2929 Barnet Highway) has had additional employees who tested positive. One employee was previously reported to have last worked there on November 17 but two additional employees, who last worked there on November 13 and 19, have since tested positive. 

      The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has added 12 flights confirmed with COVID-19 to its lists:

      • November 5: North Cariboo 2010, Fort St. John to Kelowna;
      • November 9: United Airlines 1641, Denver to Vancouver;
      • November 11: Swoop WO407, Abbotsford to Toronto;
      • November 12: North Cariboo/Summit Air 2011, Kelowna to Fort St. John;
      • November 15: WestJet 491, Calgary to Comox;
      • November 15: WestJet 3111, Calgary to Kamloops;
      • November 15: WestJet 3178, Grand Prairie to Calgary;
      • November 18: Air Canada 127, Toronto to Vancouver;
      • November 18: Air Canada 8261, Vancouver to Nanaimo;
      • November 18: Air Canada 8239, Terrace to Vancouver;
      • November 18: WestJet 3106, Terrace to Vancouver;
      • November 18: WestJet 126, Vancouver to Calgary.

      For affected row information, visit the BCCDC website. 

      Kwalikum Secondary School

      School exposures

      This time around, all regional health authorities added new exposure dates for a total of 69 schools.

      Island Health had two schools with new exposure dates:

      • The Victoria School For Ideal Education (2820 Belmont Avenue) in Victoria from November 16 to 17;
      • Kwalikum Secondary School (266 Village Way) in Qualicum Beach from November 18 to 19.

      Northern Health added two schools with new dates:

      • in Prince George, Peden Hill Elementary School (3500 Westwood Drive) had an exposure event from November 12 to 17;
      • in Fort St. John, Bert Bowes Middle School (9816 106 Street) had an exposure on November 16.

      Interior Health added new dates for four schools.

      In Kelowna, two schools had new dates:

      • 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 event from October 28 to 30; four new cases from October 2 to 4; another event from October 5 to 6; and added November 9, 10, and 12—has added November 18 as a new date; 
      • Okanagan Mission Secondary School (4544 Gordon Drive)—which previously had exposures from October 28 to 30; from November 2 to 3; and on November 10—had a new exposure on November 12.

      Williams Lake had one school: Lake City Secondary School (640 Carson Drive) from November 17 to 19.

      In Cranbrook, St. Mary's Catholic Independent School (1701 5th Street South) had an exposure from November 17 to 19.

      R.A. McMath Secondary School

      Vancouver Coastal Health added 27 schools with new exposures.

      Richmond and Vancouver added some of their largest numbers of schools so far.

      Richmond had nine schools with new dates:

      • Howard DeBeck Elementary School (8600 Ash Street) in Richmond had exposures from November 17 to 19;
      • R.A. McMath Secondary School (4251 Garry Street) had exposures from November 12 to 13 and 16 to 18;
      • Mitchell Elementary School (12091 Cambie Road), which had a previous exposure incident on November 2, had new exposures from November 12 to 13;
      • Garden City Elementary (8311 Garden City Road) in Richmond on November 16;
      • Matthew McNair Secondary School (9500 No. 4 Road) in Richmond on November 12 and 16;
      • École Secondaire Hugh McRoberts Secondary School (8980 Williams Road), which previously had exposures from November 9 to 10 and on November 12, added November 13;
      • Hamilton Elementary School (5180 Smith Drive), which previously had exposure events from November 5 to 6; and from November 4 to 5 and 9 to 10—added November 16;
      • Az-Zahraa Islamic Academy (8580 No. 5 Road) on November 16;
      • B.C. Muslim School (12300 Blundell Road) in Richmond—which had previous exposures from September 11 to 18—added November 9, 12 to 13, and 16 to 17.
      Kitsilano Secondary School

      In Vancouver, 14 schools had new dates:

      • Eric Hamber Secondary School (5025 Willow Street), which previously had an exposure event from November 2 to 5, added November 13 and 18 to 19;
      • Sir Richard McBride Elementary School (1300 East 29th Avenue) had an exposure on November 18;
      • King George Secondary School (1755 Barclay Street) from November 17 to 18;
      • Captain Cook Elementary School (3340 East 54th Avenue) from November 16 to 17;
      • Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith Elementary School (6901 Elliott Street), which previously had an exposure event from November 2 to 3, had new exposures from November 16 to 17;
      • Templeton Secondary School (727 Templeton Drive) on November 16;
      • G.T. Cunningham Elementary School (2330 East 37th Street) on November 10;
      • Trafalgar Elementary (4170 Trafalgar Street) on November 13;
      • Kitsilano Secondary (2706 Trafalgar Street) from November 16 to 17;
      • Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School (7055 Heather Street) from November 12 to 13 and on November 16;
      • John Oliver Secondary School (530 East 41st Avenue)—which had previous exposures on October 9 and 26, and from November 9 to 10—added November 13;
      • St. George’s Senior Campus (4175 West 29th Avenue) had exposures from November 16 to 18—its junior school had previous exposures.
      • St. Francis of Assisi Elementary (870 Victoria Drive) from November 16 to 17;
      • King David Secondary School (5718 Willow Street) on November 16.

      In North Vancouver, three schools had new dates:

      • Sutherland Secondary School (1860 Sutherland Avenue) on November 16;
      • Cove Cliff Elementary (1818 Banbury Road) on November 16;
      • Handsworth Secondary School (1044 Edgewood Road)—which previously had exposures from October 13 to 14, and on October 20—added November 16.

      In West Vancouver, Collingwood School—Morven Campus (70 Morven Drive), which had previous exposures on October 5 and 6, had a new exposure on November 16;

      (Collingwood School’s Wentworth campus previously had exposures on September 30, and October 1, 2, 6, and 7);

      Squamish had one school added: Howe Sound Senior Secondary School (38430 Buckley Avenue) on November 16.

      Chief Dan George Middle School

      Fraser Health had 34 schools with new exposure dates.

      Abbotsford had two schools with new dates:

      • Chief Dan George Middle School (32877 Old Riverside Road) had an exposure on November 12;
      • St. John Brebeuf Regional Secondary (2747 Townline Road), which previously had exposures from October 27 to 29, added November 9 to 10.

      In Burnaby, two schools added dates:

      • Burnaby North Secondary (751 Hammarskjold Drive)—which previously had exposures on from October 8 to 9; from October 14 to 15; from October 28 to 30; from November 2 to 3; and on November 10—added November 9 and 12 to 13.
      • Maywood Community School (4567 Imperial Street) on November 10.

      Coquitlam had three schools with new dates:

      • Roy Stibbs Elementary (600 Fairview Street) had exposures on October 16 and November 9;
      • Summit Middle School (1450 Parkway Boulevard), which had previous exposures from October 13 to 14, added November 16 to 17;
      • Terry Fox Secondary (1260 Riverwood Gate)—which previously had exposures from October 26 to 29, and on November 4—added November 12 to 13.

      In Chilliwack, two schools had new dates:

      • Unsworth Elementary (5685 Unsworth Road), which had previous exposures from November 9 to 10, added November 12 to 13;
      • Chilliwack Secondary (46363 Yale Road)—which previously had exposure events from September 22 to 24; from October 26 to 29; and from November 3 to 5—added November 12 to 13.
      Chalmers Elementary

      In Delta, four schools added dates:

      • Brooke Elementary (8718 Delwood Drive) on November 13 and 16;
      • Chalmers Elementary (11315 75th Avenue) on November 12, 13, and 16;
      • McCloskey Elementary (11531 80th Avenue), which had a previous exposure on November 2, had one of the longest exposure events from November 9 to 20;
      • Seaquam Secondary (11584 Lyon Road), which had a previous exposure on November 2, added November 12 to 13 and 16.

      In Hope, Hope Secondary School (444 Stuart Street) had an exposure from November 11 to 12.

      In Langley, six schools had new dates:

      • Aldergrove Community Secondary School (26850 29th Avenue) had exposures on November 13 and 16;
      • D.W. Poppy Secondary (23752 52nd Avenue), which had previous exposures from October 27 to 28, added November 12;
      • Glenwood Elementary (20785 24th Avenue) had an exposure on November 10;
      • R.E. Mountain Secondary (7633 202a Street), which previously had exposures from November 2 to 4 and on November 9, had new exposures from November 10 to 12;
      • Simonds Elementary (20190 48th Avenue) had an exposure on November 17;
      • Yorkson Creek Middle School (20686 84th Avenue) had an exposure on November 12.

      In Maple Ridge, three schools added dates:

      • Maple Ridge Elementary (20820 River Road) had exposures on November 9 to 10 and 13;
      • Samuel Robertson Technical (10445 245th Street)—which had previous exposure events from October 26 to 27; October 28 to 29; on October 30 and November 6—added November 17 as a new exposure date;
      • Yennadon Elementary (23347 128th Avenue), which had a previous exposure on September 21, added November 16.
      Walnut Road Elementary

      In Surrey, 11 schools added dates:

      • Cedar Hills Elementary (12370 98th Avenue), which previously had an exposure on October 13, added November 16;
      • Earl Marriott Secondary (15751 16th Avenue)—which previously had exposures on September 17, 18, 21, and 23; November 2 to 4; and from November 3 to 5—added November 12 and 16 to 17 as a new exposure event;
      • 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, 22, and 30from November 2 to 3; on November 4, 5, 10, and 12—added November 16 to 17 as exposure dates; 
      • L.A. Matheson Secondary (9484 122nd Street)—which had previous exposures on September 16 and October 9; from November 2 to 3—added November 9, 12, and 16;
      • Queen Elizabeth Secondary School (9457 King George Boulevard)—which previously had exposures on September 14; from October 14 to 16; from October 19, 21, and 22; from October 29 to 30; from November 3 to 5; and from November 6, 9, and 10—added November 12, 13, and 16;
      • Royal Heights Elementary (11665 97th Avenue), which had previous exposures from November 2 to 4, added November 16;
      • Simon Cunningham Elementary (9380 140th Street) had an exposure on November 13;
      • Sunnyside Elementary (2828 159th Street) added November 10;
      • Sunrise Ridge Elementary (18690 60th Avenue), which previously had an exposure on October 21, added November 9 to 10;
      • Walnut Road Elementary (16152 82nd Avenue) had exposures from November 12 to 13;
      • Guru Angad Dev Elementary (13479 77th Avenue)—which had previous exposures on October 2 and 9; from October 29 to 30; from November 2 to 4; on November 6 and 9—added November 16 to 17.
      You can follow Craig Takeuchi on Twitter at @cinecraig or on Facebook.

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