Wednesday October 21, 2020 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated 2 pm October 22, 2020]
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., editor | Island Social Trends
And so today we see that social distancing was not the highest priority for some people on Thanksgiving weekend.
As Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry has explained many times, the incubation period for COVID-19 infection is about five to seven days. And it can take up to two weeks for the full impact of exposures to be seen.
Thanksgiving weekend was between nine and 11 days ago (October 10 through 12). Today we see the highest number of daily cases yet in BC at 203. None of those cases were found on Vancouver Island, and only eight were in the Interior (though three were confirmed at a school in Kelowna today) and only four in the north. The bulk of cases were in the densely populated areas of Fraser Health (151) and Vancouver Coastal Health (40).
“Many of the new cases and recent community clusters of COVID-19 are directly connected to weddings, funerals and celebrations of life – times when we traditionally gather with family and friends.
New outbreaks, including at a school:
There have been three new health-care facility outbreaks at Three Links Care Centre, Fort Langley Seniors Community and Baillie House. The outbreaks at Harrison West at Elim Village and White Rock Seniors Village have been declared over. In total, 18 long-term care or assisted-living facilities and two acute-care facilities have active outbreaks.
“There has been one new outbreak at École de l’Anse-au-sable school in Kelowna with three members of the school community confirmed positive for COVID-19,” it was stated in Dr Bonnie Henry’s written briefing today. The school provides education at both the elementary and secondary school levels.
“Public health teams have directed a further approximately 160 members of the school community to self-isolate for 14 days and monitor for symptoms. Interior Health will provide ongoing updates as the investigation continues,” it was stated in the BC Health release.
Dr Bonnie Henry will address the school outbreak in her media availability on Thursday October 22, said John Horgan on the campaign trail.
École de l’Anse-au-sable is part of School District 93 which encompasses 40 French-language schools across the province.
“There also continue to be exposure events around the province,” says BC Health. Public alerts and notifications are posted on the BC Centre for Disease Control’s (BCCDC) website and on all health authorities’ websites.
Denser populations facilitate greater spread:
Denser population clusters allowing for greater spread. The same phenomenon is seen in the densely populated metro areas of southern Ontario and Quebec. Proximity is a big part of the viral transmission challenge. Same goes for long-term care communal living settings.
This past summer, it was revealed by BC Health that strategies for COVID-19 containment going forward would be focussed on the lower mainland areas because of the higher degree of viral transmission there. Dr Henry briefly mentioned that as well on Monday October 19.
For the most part living in cities where everything is close at hand is helpful and desirable, but not when it comes to viral spread.
Dr Henry did not hold a media teleconference today. Her next media session will be at 3 pm tomorrow Thursday October 22 on the usual streams (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and CPAC). Professional news media ask questions that move the conversation forward between public health and the public.
October 21 COVID case numbers:
COVID-19 stats from the BC Centre of Disease Control today Wednesday October 21 saw 203 new cases out of 10,482 tests done in the last 24 hours. That’s a positivity rate of 1.9%. Dr Henry says 1 or below 1 is desired, which would indicate transmission of the virus to no more than one other person, i.e. no spread.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in BC now stands at 12,057 since the beginning of the pandemic.
Currently there are 1,766 active cases (up from 1,688 yesterday and 1,639 on Monday).
Hospitalizations:
Of the active cases in BC, 70 people are in hospital (up from 69 yesterday and 67 on Monday, but down from 72 on Friday, and higher tallies of 75 and 85 seen last week).
The number of hospitalized patients tin ICU is 21 (up from 18 on Tuesday and 19 on Monday, but lower than 26 before the weekend).
So far this year 911 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 in BC.
There were two more COVID-19 deaths reported for October 21, bringing BC’s tally to 256.
Vancouver Island COVID profile:
There were no new cases on Vancouver Island in the October 21 stats, out of 1,087 tests done in the last 24 hours. There are 11 active cases at the moment but with no one in hospital in Island Health.
There have been 244 COVID-19 cases in total on Vancouver Island in this first nearly full year of the pandemic.
To date during the pandemic there have been six deaths from COVID-19 on Vancouver Island.
Age distribution of COVID-19 cases in BC:
The profile of 203 new cases on October 21 by age shows increases across all age groups, with particular jumps in the numbers for youth ages 10 to 19, and all working-age adults (from 20 to 59.
There is also a notable tally of new cases in the 60-69 age group (who might be slightly less active in the community but are also nearing the range of risk having to do with age and a presumably less robust immune system).
The age distribution of October 21 cases is shown here as total cases and the one-day increase:
- newborn to age 9 – 447 (+9)
- 10 to 19 years – 796 (+22)
- 20s – 2,768 (+42)
- 30s – 2,435 (+34)
- 40s – 1,799 (+33)
- 50s – 1,593 (+31)
- 60s – 977 (+12)
- 70s – 597 (+5)
- 80s – 388 (+2)
- 90+ – 206 (+1)
Recovered:
Now 9,993 people in BC are listed as recovered from test-positive cases of COVID-19 as of October 21, though Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry said again last week that some people do maintain some lingering health impacts beyond the infectious period. That can include permanently reduced lung capacity due to tissue scarring, heart and blood vessel damage, and a sustained condition of fatigue.
Awaiting a vaccine:
The entire global population is awaiting a vaccine. The Canadian government has contracts with several companies for vaccines that are under development.
All public health protocols for physical distancing, handwashing, and staying home if ill will need to remain in place until ther is immunity in the population against COVID-19.
Several times this week, BC NDP Leader John Horgan (who remains as premier through to the final count of the current provincial election, probably three weeks after the October 24 election date), has said that he’s been advised by Dr Henry that given all the prevailing circumstances (primarily still a lack of vaccine) that the pandemic will continue through 2021 and even into 2022.
Children getting COVID:
In BC to date (at October 20), 1,243 children and youth have tested positive for COVID-19. That figure includes 447 children under the age of 10 and 796 youth of ages 10 to 19.
The BC Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC) website has a section about COVID-19 and Children.
Dr Henry stresses the importance of safe Halloween activities this year.
Halloween is almost here:
It came up again around Halloween. Dr Henry described ways to keep people separated (except in your own bubble). That seems to be more important than the aspect of touching surfaces (so long as people remember to wash their hands).
For Halloween this year: No parties (outside of your own household bubble), no walking into people’s homes for treats, no bonfire crowds, no community hall gatherings, no retail mall parade-throughs for candy giveaways. It’s a socially-quiet end of the harvest season this year but can still be fun in at-home creative ways or decorating the outside of your house for the enjoyment of your neighbours.
Under public health watch:
There are 4,294 people in self-isolation due to known exposure to the infectious virus. That’s a growing number — up from 4,156 yesterday, 4,028 on Monday, 3,713 on the previous Friday, 3,683 last Thursday, and around 3,600 at the start of last week following the Thanksgiving long weekend.
The October 21 count of 4,294is the highest number of people so far who are under active public health surveillance for known exposure to the COVID-19 virus.
This means being away from work and school and other regular activities, and dealing with things like grocery shopping in the ways most of us did during the early near-lockdown of the first phase of the pandemic.
There are overhead economic costs to all of this — from having things delivered to self-isolated people at home, buying health-support items, and loss of work opportunity.
A list of COVID-19 symptoms is posted on the BC Centre for Disease Control website.
After people are officially ‘not infected’ there can continue to be lingering symptoms for days, weeks or months — being learned about as people begin to tell their stories.
BC CDC data on COVID-19:
Statistics and guidance about COVID-19 in BC are available on the BC Centre for Disease Control website. | BC CDC data about COVID
