Tuesday November 17, 2002 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated 10:25 pm November 17 & 7:15 pm November 18, 2020] with a BC CDC data correction on November 25, 2020.
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., editor | Island Social Trends
Today there are another 717 test-positive cases of COVID-19 in BC. That brings the province-wide total to 23,661. Of those 6,589 are active.
Now 198 people are in hospital (63 in ICU), and 10,960 people are self-isolating due to known exposure. Total COVID hospitalizations this year in BC stand at 1,347.
Today there are 11 more deaths in the joint report from Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix. BC’s death tally due to COVID-19 is now 310.
[Update November 25, 2020: Dr Henry announced a data correction in Fraser Health Region numbers — due to an error in data transfer from lab to health authority — which changes the daily count for November 17 to 24. For November 17 the correct new-cases total is 557, not 717. For November 18 the correct new-cases tally is 624, not 762. For November 19 the correct day’s COVID total for all of BC was 765. For November 20 the correct new case-count total is now 639, for November 21 the correct total new-case count is now 835, for November 22 it is 791, and for November 23 it’s 772.]
Vancouver Island profile:
On Vancouver Island there were 16 new cases today, across all age groups. That includes three new cases among children under the age of 10 and seven more cases among seniors in their 60s. That shows expansion of the footprint beyond the working-age adult group where most of the cases are still clustered — 41 cases among ages 20 to 59.
Total COVID cases in Vancouver Island to date this year is now 397. That’s higher by 89 compared to just one week earlier. Presently 114 of the Island Health cases are active. Regional distribution of those cases is 34 in the south, 60 central and 20 north.
Two people are in hospital in Island Health (one in ICU). Total hospitalizations this year due to COVID stand at 28 in Island Health.
There are no new deaths reported today on Vancouver Island. The total remains at six where it’s been since September 28.
COVID exposures in schools on Vancouver Island:
There are now five school exposures and clusters in schools on Vancouver Island — four in Nanaimo and one in Ladysmith.
First long-term care outbreak on Vancouver Island:
Today an outbreak at Tsawaayuss-Rainbow Gardens retirement home in the Port Alberni area was included in the BC Health list of 42 outbreaks in assisted-living, long-term care homes, and seniors’ rental buildings: 28 in Fraser Health, nine in Vancouver Coastal, three in Interior Health, one in Northern Health, and now this first one in Island Health.
Second wave strategy:
Dr Henry asks everyone to “stay small, stay local”. It’s also a good idea to wear one of your growing collection of face masks, in every public place!
Yesterday Dr Henry said she still isn’t sure about how we can spend Christmas in our homes — with just immediate household members or also others (still in our safe six) who don’t live with us. The main point, is to spend Christmas (just 38 days away) at home, without travelling.
Only essential movement in the community is recommended at this time, said Canada’s chief public health officer Dr Theresa Tam today. That would be things like grocery shopping and medical appointments or going to school or work where those remain open under various regional restrictions across the country.
“Cases have been increasing in elderly adults for several weeks,” said Dr Tam today. She reminded Canadians of the “importance of their individual actions, to protect our most vulnerable”.