Just under 2,000 COVID-19 cases in B.C., death toll at 103

Dr. Bonnie Henry, British Columbia’s provincial health officer, said there have been 50 new COVID-19 cases reported over the last 48 hours.

Thirty-nine cases were reported Sunday and 11 on Monday, Henry announced during her and B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix’s daily briefing on April 27.

There are now 1,998 COVID-19 cases recorded in B.C., including 25 cases at Superior Poultry in Coquitlam and 34 cases at United Poultry in Vancouver. There are 118 cases at Mission InstitutioN, including 106 inmates. Eleven B.C. COVID-19 cases are linked to the outbreak at the Kearl Lake oilsands project in northern Alberta.

According to the B.C. health officials, there are 117 confirmed cases in Island Health (two more than Saturday). In total, there are 795 cases in Vancouver Coastal Health, 879 in Fraser Health, 164 in Interior Health and 43 are in Northern Health.

Eighty-one people have recovered in Island Health and a total of 1,190 people have recovered province-wide.

There have also been three additional deaths, bringing the death toll to 103. Ninety-seven patients are now in hospital, including 36 in intensive care. Six of those hospitalizations are in the Island Health region.

And there are two more outbreaks at long-term care centres in the Fraser Health region: Valhaven Home and MSA Manor. A single person at each long-term care centre has tested positive. A total of 20 long-term care centres have active outbreaks. Three acute care units in the Lower Mainland also have outbreaks.

Twelve outbreaks at long-term care facilities have been declared over. In total, 389 people connected with the homes and hospitals have tested positive for COVID-19.

According to Henry, the province’s new testing strategy, which allows anyone with symptoms to be tested, has led to greater surveillance of the disease’s spread. The majority of new confirmed cases continue to be connected to known outbreaks.

Henry said the numbers suggest B.C. is getting closer to the point where it will be possible to lift some of the restrictions on daily life and business activity. However, she added it will take careful planning for a “made in B.C.” approach.

“Nobody wants to see a resurgence. So we’re watching carefully,” Henry said.

Dix said there are five priorities in opening parts of B.C. back up: limit transmission as much as possible, make sure the healthcare system is not overrun, reopen the economy, social interaction and make sure people who are struggling with non COVID-19 problems are taken care of.

In an effort to help further reduce the spread of COVID-19, the BC government also revealed on Saturday new plans to move the homeless encampments that have popped up around Victoria into vacant hotel rooms around the city.
Despite new daily cases, the virus has shown some signs of ‘flattening’ since social distancing measures were installed. Earlier this month, Dr. Bonnie Henry pointed to the possibility of gradually reopening some parts of the British Columbian economy during the month of May. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau backed this idea on Monday morning, saying that the federal government was working individually with each province and territory to build a unique reopening plan that followed some essential principles.

These essential reopening principles, outlined by Trudeau, included things like having enough medical capacity to handle a potential surge or ensuring widespread and adequate testing is available. The idea of reopening from the prime minister did come with a word of caution, however.

“If we get this wrong, everything we have done, everything we have sacrificed over the past many weeks could have been in vain,” said Trudeau.

Globally, the number of COVID-19 cases has surpassed three million.

To see the latest B.C. COVID-19 numbers by health region, visit the BC COVID-19 dashboard.

With files from The Canadian Press and CBC

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