Wednesday November 4, 2020 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., editor | Island Social Trends
The second wave is on the upsurge in BC. The daily case has been over 300 for almost a week now. The number of people in hospital is consistently near a hundred lately, and the largest-ever number of people in self-isolation due to exposure to the COVID-19 virus is today at its highest yet.
Today’s COVID-19 report (November 4) from the BC Centre for Disease Control shows 3,120 active cases across BC of which 335 new cases are new (found through 4,848 tests in the last 24 hours), with 92 people in hospital (25 of those in intensive care) and 7,133 people under active public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases of COVID-19.
There has been one new COVID-related death, bringing the BC total to 273.
Community outbreaks and spread:
There has been one new community outbreak. That’s at La Casa resort in West Kelowna. The outbreak in Merritt has been declared over. Public alerts and notifications are posted on the BC CDC website and all health authority websites.
While on Vancouver Island it is apparent that the COVID-19 virus has not spread as much as in other areas of BC, today Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a joint statement that there is “one COVID-19 curve” in BC because “the risks are everywhere and no community or person is immune”.
A small cluster in one region can quickly become an outbreak in another. “That is why province-wide orders are in place throughout BC and why we all need to use our layers of protection, all the time,” said Dr Henry and Minister Dix today.
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 5,097 cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 9,439 in the Fraser Health region, 274 in the Island Health region, 803 in the Interior Health region, 432 in the Northern Health region and 90 cases of people who reside outside of Canada.
Use a multi-layered mask:
Yesterday Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr Theresa Tam said that non-medical face masks should now be multi-layered for greater protection. This comes as people are spending more time indoors in winter weather.
According to recently updated guidelines, two layers of the mask should be made of a tightly woven fabric, such as cotton or linen, and the middle layer should be a filter-type fabric, such as non-woven polypropylene fabric.
Instructions for sewing your own mask are on the Public Health Agency of Canada website.
Wearing a mask should be a daily thing “like brushing your teeth”, said Tam earlier this week. It’s part of the suite of things people should be doing as advised by public health, i.e. physical distancing, washing your hands frequently, maintaining a small social bubble (now maximum six people) and staying home from work or school if not feeling well.
How the mask fits is very important, says Dr Tam. The Government of Canada website on this topic provides this information:
Well-designed and well-fitting masks or face coverings can prevent the spread of your infectious respiratory droplets. They may also help protect you from the infectious respiratory droplets of others.
The mask should fit properly:
How well a mask or face covering works depends on the materials used, how the mask is made, and most importantly, how well it fits.
A mask or face covering can be homemade or purchased, and should:
- be made of at least 3 layers
- 2 layers should be tightly woven material fabric, such as cotton or linen
- the third (middle) layer should be a filter-type fabric, such as non-woven polypropylene fabric
- be large enough to completely and comfortably cover the nose, mouth and chin without gaping
- allow for easy breathing
- fit securely to the head with ties or ear loops
- be comfortable and not require frequent adjustments
- be changed as soon as possible if damp or dirty
- maintain its shape after washing and drying
Vancouver Island COVID profile:
As of today November 4, there are 274 cases of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island which includes four new cases. All of the new cases have been among working-age adults this week, with one also in the 70s age group today.
Cases have been seen relatively evenly around Vancouver Island during the pandemic to date. Of the total 274 cases, 103 (37.6%) are seen in South Vancouver Island, with 87 (31.8%) in central, and 84 (30.6%) in the north.
Currently, the 22 active cases of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island are seen as eight in the south and north, with six in the central region.
There have been no new cases among children or teens this week, and none in people age 80+.
There are no school exposures listed within Island Health today.
Of the 22 active cases in Island Health today, none are in hospital (as has been the case for several weeks).
There have been six deaths in Island Health due to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic this year, the last being reported on September 28.
