British Columbia set another record for new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday at 717 and also reported an additional 11 deaths.
One of the new cases is epidemiologically-linked, meaning a person who was never tested but presumed to have COVID-19 because they developed symptoms and were close contacts of a laboratory-confirmed case.
Of the new cases, 16 are in the Island Health region, 177 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 484 in the Fraser Health region, 18 in the Interior Health region, 21 in the Northern Health region and one new case of a person who resides outside of Canada.
The eleven deaths reported in the last 24 hours brings B.C.’s COVID-19 death toll to 310.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, released Tuesday’s numbers in a statement.
B.C. has now had a total of 23,661 cases since the start of the pandemic.
“There are 6,589 active cases of COVID-19 in the province (310 more than Nov. 16).
There are 198 individuals currently hospitalized with COVID-19 (17 more than Nov. 16), 63 of whom are in intensive care (six more than Nov. 16).
And 10,960 people are under active public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases (32 more than Nov. 16) and 16,469 people who tested positive have recovered.
There is one new health-care facility outbreak at Tsawaayuss-Rainbow Gardens in Port Alberni in the Island Health region. There have been no new community outbreaks.
“We have seen an increase in new cases on Vancouver Island, in the Interior and in the North, many of which are connected to travel to and from the Lower Mainland. That is why is it important that we stay local and travel less right now,” Henry and Dix said in Tuesday’s statement.
“When we spend time inside with people from outside of our household, our work group or school cohort, the risks increase for everyone. Instead, let’s stay connected virtually and make it a safer winter for all of us.”
Island Health
Island Health now has 114 active cases: 34 in the southern Vancouver Island area, 60 in the central Vancouver Island area and 20 in the northern Vancouver Island area.
A total of 277 people have recovered.
The health authority has had 397 cases since the start of the pandemic and six deaths. According to the BC Centre for Disease Control COVID-19 dashboard, two people with COVID-19 are in hospital in Island Health, with one in intensive care.
Southern Vancouver Island includes the Greater Victoria region, Southern Gulf Islands and the Port Renfrew area.
Central Vancouver Island includes the Cowichan Valley, Duncan, Nanaimo, Parksville, Port Alberni and Tofino areas.
Northern Vancouver Island goes from the Comox Valley to Port Hardy but also includes surrounding areas like Alert Bay and Sointula.
Island Health’s COVID-19 cases on Nov. 17, 2020 (Island Health)
More COVID-19 information
If there is a confirmed COVID-19 case in a school, public health contacts affected school community members directly. Regional health authorities also post school notifications on their websites, providing the date and type of notification (outbreak, cluster or exposure) for impacted schools.
Island Health has five current COVID-19 school exposures listed:
- A cluster at Dover Bay Secondary, 6135 McGirr Rd. Nanaimo on Nov. 2, 5, 6.
- A cluster at John Barsby Secondary 550 Seventh St. Nanaimo. The first exposure was on Nov. 5,6. The second exposure was Nov. 9, 10.
- An exposure at Frank J Ney Elementary 5301 Williamson Rd. Nanaimo on Nov. 12.
- A cluster at Randerson Ridge Elementary 6021 Nelson Rd., Nanaimo on Nov. 4,5,6, 9, 10
- An exposure at Ladysmith Secondary School 710 6th Ave. Ladysmith on Nov. 9, 10, 12, 13
The Island Health school site can be found here.
Island Health’s COVID-19 data breaks down North, Central and South Island case counts and lists the number of days since any new lab-diagnosed cases. You can find the data here along with any public exposures.
To see B.C.’s COVID-19 numbers by day and health authority, along with testing numbers, positivity rates and recoveries, visit the B.C. COVID-19 dashboard. The numbers are updated at 4:30 p.m. PT each weekday.
To see a list of all provincial public COVID-19 exposures and outbreaks in the province, including links to exposures and outbreaks listed on health authority websites, visit the B.C. Centre for Disease Control website ( BC CDC) here.
Island Health has two current COVID-19 outbreaks. One was reported on Nov. 11 at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital after transmission in the transitional care unit. Five staff members tested positive and Island Health said Tuesday no other new COVID-19 cases had been associated with the outbreak to date.
There continues to be no new #COVID19 cases associated w/the Nov 11 Nanaimo Regional General Hospital outbreak.
This site is safe to visit for scheduled medical appointments & emergency medical needs. Thank you to the #Nanaimo community & all NRGH staff for your support & care.— Island Health (@VanIslandHealth) November 18, 2020
The other outbreak was reported on Nov. 16 at the Tsawaayuss (Rainbow Gardens) long-term care home. That outbreak, declared after a staff member tested positive, is confined to the long-term care building.
There is also a possible COVID-19 exposure at Browns Socialhouse at 1661 Cliffe Ave. in Courtenay between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Nov. 3 and 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Nov. 5.
Island Health provides updates on the locations and times of known possible exposures to COVID-19 to the public in our region when they are unable to reach or identify all individuals potentially exposed via contact tracing. A close contact exposure means face-to-face contact for an extended period of time with a person who is infectious.
The possible exposures listed are believed to be low risk but, out of an abundance of caution, Island Health asks that anyone who may have visited any of the locations listed on the specified dates and times to monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms.
And the BC CDC has set up a COVID-19 epidemiology dashboard, which compares B.C. to other jurisdictions nationally and globally. It will be available on Tuesdays and Fridays.
According to Johns Hopkins University and Medicine, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide is more than 55.4 million. More than 1.3 million deaths have been recorded.
Assisted-living, long-term care homes, seniors’ rental buildings in B.C. with ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks
Vancouver Coastal Health – nine facilities
- Arbutus Care Centre (second occurrence)
- Banfield Pavilion
- Capilano Care Centre
- Columbus Residence
- Fraserview Intermediate Care Lodge
- Holy Family Hospital (fourth occurrence)
- Louis Brier Home & Hospital
- Royal Arch Masonic Home (second occurrence)
- Three Links Care Centre
Fraser Health – 28 facilities
- Agassiz Seniors Community
- Al Hogg Pavilion (second occurrence)
- Amenida Seniors Community
- Belvedere Care Centre
- Chartwell Langley Gardens (second occurrence)
- Dania Home (second occurrence)
- Evergreen Baptist Care Society
- Fellburn Care Centre
- Finnish Manor
- Fort Langley Seniors Community
- George Derby Centre (second occurrence)
- Good Samaritan Delta View Care Centre
- Harrison Pointe
- Hawthorne Senior Care Community – assisted living
- Hawthorne Seniors Care Community – long-term care
- Holyrood Manor
- Jackman Manor
- Kiwanis Care Centre
- Laurel Place
- Normanna (second occurrence)
- Northcrest Care Centre
- Peace Portal Seniors Village (second occurrence)
- PICS Assisted Living (third occurrence)
- Suncreek Village
- Tabor Home (second occurrence)
- The Harrison at Elim Village (second occurrence)
- The Residence in Mission
- White Rock Senior Village (second occurrence)
Northern Health – one facility
- Rotary Manor Dawson Creek
Interior Health – three facilities
- Hamlets at Westsyde
- Sun Pointe Village
- Village by the Station
Island Health – one facility
- Tsawaayuss-Rainbow Gardens
The province also announced Tuesday that Premier John Horgan will be holding a media availability at 10:30 a.m. PST on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
Alexa Huffman
