Friday August 14, 2020 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary Brooke, B.Sc., editor | West Shore Voice News
The number of new test-positive cases of COVID-19 in BC has jumped by 84 in the last 24 hours, in the same range as yesterday’s 78 and Wednesday’s 85 one-day increase.
These new stats today on Friday August 14 as reported by the BC Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC) shows case counts back up to levels not seen since March and April in the beginning phase of the pandemic in BC.
The peak number of cases in BC in one day was 91, as seen on March 25, and on March 23 there were 88 cases new in one day. On April 24 there were 72 cases. So this week’s range is right back up in the territory where public health orders essentially created an economic lockdown.
Phase 3 of the Restart BC economic recovery continues, however. Efforts are being made by government and public health to reach the young adult age groups (generally under age 40) with a plea to maintain physical distancing. Most of the new cases are evolving from socializing in bars, pubs and restaurants and other social gatherings, as well as some cases resulting from travel within Canada and beyond.
Tests and people in self-isolation:
Across BC, 3,488 tests for COVID-19 were done in the last day (427 of those on Vancouver Island). There were no new cases on Vancouver Island in today’s BC CDC report.
Presently 2,026 people are in a period of 14-day self-isolation under the watchful eye of public health, for having been exposed or potentially exposed to COVID-19 in recent days. That’s up from 1,878 yesterday, and 1,917 the day before.
Hospitalizations & recovery:
Today’s stats from the BC CDC show 23 people in hospital, with four of those in intensive care.
Meanwhile, the BC CDC reports today that 3,533 people have recovered from their test-positive COVID infection (142 on Vancouver Island).
Enforcement is ramping up:
Private parties in private spaces will still need to be ‘enforced’ for physical distancing by the people themselves at these events, and the organizers of those events, said BC Health Minister Adrian Dix yesterday.
Otherwise, public health is relying on businesses that are open to be following public health guidance, and in so doing are enforcing public health orders.
COVID by age:
On August 14, there are no new cases reported in children under the age of 10 (tally still at 94) but six news cases in ages 10 to 19 (tally now at 190).
The young adult age grouping of 20-29 years saw a case increase of 21 (there were 29 yesterday and 24 on Wednesday) bringing that age group to 809 cases in BC. That’s 18.5% of all cases in BC.
In the 30-39 age group there were 25 cases reported today, which is the highest of all age groups in today’s report. In total, now 800 adults in this age range have contracted the COVID-19 infection.
Case counts were modest in the 40-49 and 50-59 age groups (seven and three cases, respectively), bringing the totals for those groups to 609 and 673, respectively.
In the early-senior age group of 60-69 years, there were three new COVID cases today in BC, bringing the total for that age category to 416.
In stark contrast to the beginning of the pandemic in March through May when case counts were high among older seniors and elders, today there were just two new cases in the 70-79 age group (total 292), none in the 80-89 age grouping (total 258), and none in the 90+ age group (total 155).
Next update on COVID in BC:
The next livestreamed media teleconference about COVID-19 will be on Monday August 17 from Vancouver, with Health Minister Adrian Dix and BC’s Deputy Public Health Officer. Usually the time is set for 3 pm.
To date since COVID-related announcements began in BC in January 2020, Minister Dix and Dr Bonnie Henry have held 118 media teleconferences about the virus, case counts, and related data modelling.
The seventh BC Centre for Disease Control COVID-19 data modelling presentation was held on August 13.
Awaiting a vaccine:
An effective treatment or a vaccine against COVID-19 are the only two medical remedies for altering the continuing experience of the pandemic.
Canada is preparing for a reasonable worst case scenario. Today Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr Teresa Tam says the local ups and downs of waves of COVID-19 infection in Canada are expected to last until at least January 2022, while a vaccine is awaited. | Link to Canada’s Weekly COVID-19 Report for August 2 to 8, 2020
