COVID-19 in B.C.: Less than 600 new cases, 53 schools with new exposures, and more

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      There are some slightly encouraging signs of progress.

      For the first time in a while, the new case count in B.C. has dipped below 600 and the number of active cases also decreased. In addition, there aren’t any new healthcare or community outbreaks.

      Unfortunately, the number of deaths remains high and on par with previous days.

      B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry had explained at yesterday’s B.C. COVID-19 briefing that although they are seeing some case numbers levelling off, it is too soon to lift any restrictions. Accordingly, she had announced that her current health orders would be extended until January 8.

      Today, Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix re-emphasized that point in a news release.

      "While we have seen the start of encouraging trends in our COVID-19 curve, the number of new cases and people with serious illness requiring care in hospital remains high,” they said. “This is why the public health orders and restrictions remain in place and why we must continue to stay local and keep to our households through the holiday season.”

      Meanwhile, there are six stores and only two flights with COVID-19 cases, and there are 53 schools with new exposure events.

      Defiance and enforcement

      A few churches have continued to defy provincial health orders that prohibits any gatherings or events, including religious services.

      According to CBC News, three churches in the Fraser Valley held services on December 6: Free Grace Baptist Church and Free Reformed Church in Chilliwack, and Riverside Calvary Chapel in Langley, which had already received a $2,300 fine the previous weekend.

      In addition, B.C. RCMP reportedly visited an unspecified church in Kelowna that held a service on December 6. After officers spoke at length with those in attendance to ensure the regulations were understood, fines weren’t issued.

      Meanwhile, the Victoria Police Department stated in a news release on December 7 that officers responded to a call about a male patron who refused to wear a mask in a restaurant in the 1400 block of Store Street in Victoria around 8:30 p.m. on December 5.

      When staff instructed him to wear a mask, he “became belligerent, repeatedly swore at staff, and refused to comply with the direction to wear a mask”. Furthermore, when he left the premises, he “coughed in an exaggerated manner toward staff”.

      Officers located the man and issued him a $230 fine for abusive or belligerent behaviour.

      The B.C. government announced today that it is extended the provincial state of emergency, originally announced on March 18, to December 22.

      “I can assure you this government will not hesitate to take further action against those who insist on putting the lives of others at risk,” B.C. Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth stated in a news release. “The orders are in place to keep people safe, and we will use those legal tools when necessary to ensure public safety."

      Between August 21 and December 4, 194 violation tickets have been issued in B.C., including:

      • 36 fines of $2,300 to owners or organizers for gatherings and events;
      • 16 tickets of $2,300 for food or liquor service violations;
      • 142 tickets of $230 to individuals for not complying with direction from law enforcement.
      • 70 violation tickets to individuals contravening the federal Quarantine Act, for a total of $76,216.
      B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix
      Province of British Columbia

      B.C. update: December 8

      In a joint statement, Henry and Dix announced there are 566 new cases (including two epi-linked cases) in B.C. today.

      By region, that includes:

      • 297 new cases in Fraser Health;
      • 136 in Vancouver Coastal Health;
      • 74 in Interior Health;
      • 48 in Northern Health;
      • 11 in Island Health;
      • no one from outside Canada.

      Another slightly encouraging sign is that the number of active cases decreased—by 65 people—to 9,315 active cases.

      Hospitalizations are up by three people to 352 individuals currently hospitalized with COVID-19, and 74 of those patients (three less than yesterday) are in intensive care units.

      Tragically, the numbers of deaths remain high.

      There are 16 new COVID-19-related deaths, which is one less person than the record high on November 29 (which was matched yesterday). That brings the total fatalities during the pandemic to 543 people who have died.

      Both the number of people being monitored by public health and the total number of people who have recovered were not provided today.

      B.C. has recorded a cumulative total of 38,718 cases during the pandemic, which includes:

      • 24,558 cases in Fraser Health;
      • 9,861 in Vancouver Coastal Health;
      • 2,339 in Interior Health;
      • 1,132 in Northern Health;
      • 735 in Island Health;
      • 93 people from outside Canada.  

      Outbreaks and exposures

      The good news is that there aren’t any new healthcare or community outbreaks.

      Interior Health announced today that the outbreak at the Royal Inland Hospital Patient Care Tower construction project site in Kamloops has been declared over. Interior Health said that 13 cases were involved in this outbreak.

      In addition, none of the five regional health authorities announced any new public exposure events.

      Sobeys announced that an employee who tested positive last worked on December 3 at the 20871 Fraser Highway location of Safeway in Langley.

      Loblaw had four stores with five staff members who tested positive.

      An employee who tested positive last worked on December 2 at Heather's Your Independent Grocer (5530 Sunshine Coast Highway) in Sechelt.

      The other three stores were Real Canadian Superstore locations:

      • two employees who last worked on November 28 and 30 at the 7550 King George Boulevard store in Surrey;
      • one employee who last worked on December 1 at the 2155 Ferry Avenue store in Prince George;
      • one employee who last worked on December 2 at the 2332 160th Street store in Surrey.

      The B.C. Centre for Disease Control only added two flights confirmed with COVID-19:

      • November 26: Flair 8513, Toronto to Vancouver (via Saskatoon), affected rows 26 to 32;
      • December 4: Aeromexico 696, Mexico City to Vancouver, affected rows not reported.
      Nanaimo District Secondary School

      School exposures

      All five health authorities added new dates for a total of 53 schools. However, the vast majority were in the Fraser Health region.

      Island Health had one school with new exposure dates: Nanaimo District Secondary School (355 Wakesiah Avenue) in Nanaimo had exposures from December 2 to 4.

      Vancouver Coastal Health only had a new date for one school: in Richmond, Thomas Kidd Elementary School (10851 Shell Road), which had previous exposures on November 30 and December 1, added December 3.

      Interior Health had two schools with new dates.

      In Elkford, Rocky Mountain Elementary (2500 Balmer Drive) had an exposure event from November 30 to December 2.

      In Kelowna, South Kelowna Elementary (4176 Spiers Road) in South Kelowna, which previously had an exposure on November 27, added November 30 to December 2.

      Northern Health had four schools with new exposure dates.

      In Fort St. John, Margaret “Ma” Murray Community School (11504 105 Avenue), which previously had an exposure on November 27, added November 23 to 26.

      Two schools had new dates in Fort St. James:

      • Fort St. James Secondary School (450 Douglas Avenue), which previously had exposures from November 19 to 20 and from November 20 to 26, added November 30 and December 1.
      • Bert Bowes Middle School (9816 106th Street)—which had previous exposures on November 16, 18, and 20—added November 30.

      In Terrace, Uplands Elementary School (4110 Thomas Street) had exposures from November 30 to December 1.

      East Chilliwack Elementary School

      Fraser Health had 45 schools with new exposure dates.

      In Abbotsford, six schools added new dates:

      • Abbotsford Middle School (33231 Bevan Avenue) had exposures from November 30 to December 2;
      • Blue Jay Elementary (30995 Southern Drive), which previously had an exposure event from October 7 to 9, added December 2 to 3;
      • Chief Dan George Middle School (32877 Old Riverside Road)—which previously had exposures on November 12, and from November 30 to December 3—added November 27;
      • King Traditional Elementary (28776 King Road)—which previously had exposures from November 24 to 26, and on November 30—added December 1 and 4;
      • South Poplar Traditional Elementary (32746 Huntingdon Road) had an exposure on December 3;
      • Yale Secondary (34620 Old Yale Road) had an exposure from November 30 to December 1.

      Three schools in Burnaby added new dates:

      • Byrne Creek Secondary (7777 18th Street)—which previously had exposures on October 26, and on November 18, 20, and from 26 to 27—added November 30 and December 1 and 4;
      • École Cariboo Hill Secondary (8580 16th Avenue) had exposures from December 2 to 3;
      • Moscrop Secondary (4433 Moscrop Street)—which had previous exposures from November 3 to 4, and from November 12 to 13—had an additional exposure on December 1.

      In Coquitlam, three schools added new dates:

      • Parkland Elementary (1563 Regan Avenue) had an exposure on November 30;
      • Pinetree Secondary (3000 Pinewood Avenue)—which had previous exposures from October 15 to 16 and 19 to 20; on October 26, 28, and 29; and on November 19—added December 1 as an additional date;
      • Walton Elementary (2960 Walton Avenue) had exposures from December 1 to 3.

      In Port Coquitlam, James Park Elementary (1761 Westminster Avenue) had exposure from November 30 to December 1.

      In Chilliwack, there were nine schools with new dates:

      • Chilliwack Middle School (46354 Yale Road) had an exposure event from November 30 to December 1;
      • Chilliwack Secondary (46363 Yale Road)—which previously had exposure events from September 22 to 24; from October 26 to 29; from November 3 to 5; from November 12 to 13; on November 17; from November 23 to 26—added November 30 to December 2;
      • East Chilliwack Secondary (49190 Chilliwack Central Road) had exposures from November 30 to December 2;
      • G.W. Graham Secondary (45955 Thomas Road)—which previously had exposures on October 23 and from October 26 to 29; from November 16 to 18; on November 13 and 23—added November 30 to December 2;
      • Promontory Heights Community Elementary (46200 Stoneview Drive)—which previously had exposures on November 26 and from 28 to 30—added November 27 and December 1 to 3;
      • Rosedale Traditional Community School (50850 Yale Road) in Rosedale—which previously had exposures from October 26 to 28; from November 23 to 24; and on November 27—added December 1 to 2;
      • Sardis Elementary (45775 Manuel Road)—which previously had an exposure on November 20, and from 24 to 25—added November 30 to December 2;
      • Sardis Middle School (46354 Yale Road) had exposures from November 30 to December 2;
      • Vedder Middle (45560 South Sumas Road), which previously had exposures from October 26 to 30, added November 30 to December 2 as an exposure date.
      Sardis Middle School

      In Delta, Annieville Elementary (9240 112nd Street), which previously had an exposure on November 30, added December 1.

      In Aggasiz, Agassiz Elementary-Secondary (7110 Cheam Avenue), which previously had an exposure event from November 4 to 6, had a new exposure event from December 2 to 4.

      In Langley, two school had new exposures:

      • Aldergrove Community Secondary School (26850 29th Avenue), which previously had exposures on November 13 and 16, added November 30 to December 1;
      • D.W. Poppy Secondary (23752 52nd Avenue)—which had previous exposures from October 27 to 28; on November 12 and 23—added November 23.

      In Maple Ridge, Blue Mountain Elementary (12153 248 Street) had an exposure event from December 2 to 3.

      In Mission, Hatzic Middle School (34800 Dewdney Trunk Road)—which previously had exposures on October 5 and 16, and from November 3 to 4 and on November 6—added December 1 to 3.

      In New Westminster, two schools added new dates:

      • Glenbrook Middle School (701 Park Crescent), which previously had an exposure on November 27, added November 30 to December 3;
      • Queensborough Middle School (833 Salter Street), which previously had exposures from September 21 to 22, added November 24 to 25 and December 2 to 3.
      Mary Jane Shannon Elementary School

      Surrey had 15 schools with new exposure dates:

      • Brookside Elementary (8555 142a Street), which previously had exposures from November 24 to 26, added November 30 to December 1;
      • Cougar Creek Elementary (12236 70a Avenue), which previously had exposures from November 26 to 27, added November 30;
      • Elgin Park Secondary (13484 24 Avenue), which previously had an exposure on November 10, added December 1;
      • Enver Creek Secondary (14505 84th Avenue)—which previously had exposures on October 9, 14, and 26from November 3 to 5, 9, and 16on November 24 and 30, and on December 1—added November 26 to 27;
      • Fleetwood Park Secondary (7940 156th Street)—which previously had exposure incidents on October 1, and from November 18 to 20—added November 30 to December 2;
      • 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 12from November 16 to 17; and on November 19; from November 23 to 27; and on November 30—added December 1 to 2;
      • Holly Elementary (4625 62nd Street)—which previously had an exposure on November 4, and from November 10 to 12; from November 16 to 20—added November 30 to December 1;
      • L.A. Matheson Secondary (9484 122nd Street)—which had previous exposures on September 16 and October 9; from November 2 to 3on November 9, 12, and 16 to 20; and from November 25 to 27—added December 1 to 2;
      • Mary Jane Shannon Elementary (10682 144th Street) had an exposure on November 30;
      • North Surrey Secondary (15945 96 Avenue)—which previously had incidents on September 14; from September 24 to 25; and on November 2—added December 1 to 2 as exposure dates;
      • Princess Margaret Secondary (12870 72nd Avenue)—which previously had exposures on September 11; on October 12, 15, and 16; on October 26 and 29; and from November 2 to 5—had new exposure events on November 24, 26, 27, and 30, and from December 1 to 3;
      • 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; on November 6, 9, 10; on November 12, 13, and 16; from November 18 to 20; and from November 23 to 27—added November 30;
      • Sullivan Heights Secondary (6248 144th Street)—which had previous incidents on September 8, from September 30 to October 1; from October 13 to 15, and on October 19; from October 20 to 22; on October 30; from November 3 to 5; from November 4 to 5 and 12; on November 10 and 13; from November 17 to 20; and from November 23 to 25—added November 30 to December 3;
      • Tamanawis Secondary School (12600 66th Avenue)—which previously had incidents on September 17 and 30; October 2 and 6; from October 13 to 16; on October 19from October 26 to 28; from November 3 to 5; and on November 12, 13, 16, 17, and from 19 to 20—added November 24 to 27 and 30;
      • Cornerstone Montessori (14724 84th Avenue), which previously had an exposure event from November 9 to 10, added November 30 to December 2.
      You can follow Craig Takeuchi on Twitter at @cinecraig or on Facebook.

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