Tuesday November 3, 2020 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., editor | Island Social Trends
Another significant upsurge in COVID-19 cases was reported today by the BC Centre for Disease Control. A further 299 test-positive cases today brings the BC total to 15,800.
Today’s new cases include five on Vancouver Island (all of those among working-age adults, as was also the case yesterday). The other 294 cases occurred on the BC mainland.
The regional profile of COVID-19 cases in BC shows the highest number of cases in Fraser Health at 9,234, followed by 4,993 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 788 in Interior Health, 425 in Northern Health, 270 in the Island Health region, and 90 among people who normally live outside of Canada.
There are 3,017 active cases in BC right now (the highest yet). Of those, 92 people in hospital (with 22 of those in intensive care or critical care). The remainder of test-positive infected persons are dealing with their infection at home.
Total hospitalizations this year due to COVID tallies at 1,040. Total recovered cases in BC is presently 12,430.
There were three new deaths in today’s report, bringing the total deaths in BC due to COVID up to 272.
COVID case age profile:
There were 49 more cases among kids in today’s COVID report (15 cases in children age newborn to 9 years, and 34 cases in kids and teens age 10 to 19 years. That brings totals to 614 in children under age 10, and 1,203 cases in youth age 10 to 19, for a total of 1,817 cases in children and youth.
Most new cases today were tallied in the working-age adult groupings:
- Ages 20 to 29: 47 new cases (total 3,699)
- Ages 30 to 39: 45 new cases (total 3,093)
- Ages 40 to 49: 50 new cases (total 2,381)
- Ages 50 to 59: 41 new cases (total 2,084)
- Ages 60 to 69: 18 new cases (total 1,233)
Among the elderly there were 20 new cases today, distributed as follows:
- Ages 70 to 79: 16 new cases (total 721)
- Ages 80 to 89: 3 new cases (total 463)
- Age 90+: 1 new case (total 231)
The goal:
“Our goal for the COVID-19 pandemic is to continue to minimize severe illness, death, and social disruption in our communities communities,” said Dr Gustafson in a written statement today.
“But to achieve this careful balance, we all need to do our part,” she said yesterday in her livestreamed report. “We all need to understand the risks in our local communities and adjust our activities if that risk increases.”
Infections from social gatherings:
In today’s report, much of the recent transmission is connected to social gatherings. “That is why it is so important to keep our groups small,” says Dr Gustafson.
There is an emphasis of messaging in today’s joint report from Dr Gustafson and BC Health Minister Adrian Dix in areas where COVID-19 transmission is greatest. They are targeting their message to focus on social gatherings in Fraser Health: “Public health teams are asking everyone to avoid all social gatherings in your home right now — even those that are within the restrictions of the provincial health officer.”
Keeping communities safe:
There are 6,888 people who are self-isolating and under public health surveillance as a result of having been exposed to COVID-19. That’s up by 440 in one day.
All of those people are life-impacted at least during the time of surveillance or infection, including time away from families, work or school and having to do things in more inconvenient or more expensive ways (like shopping online with the additional delivery charges or having to arrange for someone else to pick up medications at the pharmacy or run other essential errands).
Health Minister Adrian Dix said in today’s statement: “Keeping our communities well means keeping them safe. It is about ensuring we have capacity within or health-care system, protecting those who are most vulnerable and continuing what’s important to our well-being in safe, responsible ways.”
Dr Henry’s days off:
Dr Henry is “taking a few well deserved days off”, Dix said yesterday. She will be back in the hot seat on Thursday November 5 along with Dix for the next COVID livestreamed update.
