Saturday April 25, 2020 ~ BC [Updated 11 pm April 25, 2020]
by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
Today with two more COVID-19 deaths announced today April 25 in BC, the total number of people who have died from COVID-19 infection has reached 100.
While is this significantly lower than the sad death tallies in other provinces and is certainly well-contained compared to the impact of widespread outbreaks in the United States, that is nevertheless 100 families who are impacted by the sudden loss of a loved one in this unexpected way.
Today Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry was particularly saddened by one of the deaths being that of an indigenous elder in a First Nations community. She remarked on the importance of elders in the community as being the keepers of knowledge and experience, and said the passing of a First Nations elder in BC yesterday has an impact on everyone.
In her briefing, Dr Henry didn’t mention that the indigenous woman who died was in the small island community of Alert Bay, on Cormorant Island. In general, the PHO’s public health policy has been to avoid mentioning specific locations for deaths outside of those in long-term care homes, public facilities and industrial sites.
It’s not clear how a case of COVID-19 spread to such a remote area off the northern tip of Vancouver Island. About half the village’s 1,200 to 1,500 residents are First Nations people.
The affected woman said she had not left the island, so the infection would need to have been brought to the island by a traveller, it was concluded by locals.
On April 20 there were identified cases of COVID-19 in Alert Bay, where they declared a local state of emergency and issued a nightly curfew (9:30 pm to 6 am).
Number of test-positive cases in BC:
Overall in BC today April 25 there have been 1,948 test-positive cases of COVID-19 since testing began this year. Today 95 new cases were added to that tally, it was reported by Dr Henry.
Every health region in British Columbia has patients with COVID-19: 778 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 853 are in Fraser Health, 115 in the Island Health region (that’s just one more than yesterday), 160 in the Interior Health region, and 42 in Northern Health (no increase today).
As of the 1 pm announcement by Dr Henry today, there are 96 people in hospital in BC with COVID-19, of which 41 are in critical care or ICU.
In BC today, 1,137 people with test-positive cases have now fully recovered.
There have been 100 deaths in BC due to COVID-19, including two announced today April 25.
Deaths in long-term care homes:
Most of the 100 COVID-19 deaths in BC have resulted among seniors living in long-term care or assisted living facilities. This is being seen as associated with lack of physical distancing, and the cross-contamination between care homes due to care workers often working at more than one facility.
Underlying that scenario is in many cases the financial aspect of care homes where the highest possible number of residents and lowest-possible wages and benefits (achieved by part-time contracts) is the mixture of organizational business decisions that have turned out to produce a lethal mix during an infectious pandemic.
Outbreaks in communal settings:
The jump in the number of cases today has to do with continued investigation of outbreaks. That includes at the federal medium security correctional center in Mission, were 40 of today’s new tallied cases were recorded. At that facility 106 inmates have tested positive and 12 staff members.
Dr Henry noted the higher incidence of cases in a communal living area such as at the prison. That in many ways also applies to long term care homes in the way they are currently set up.
One of the outbreaks in long-term care has been considered resolved today. In total, that still means there are 19 long term care facilities with active outbreaks, with outbreaks declared over at 11 care facilities.
That’s 30 facilities in total dealing with (present or resolved) the impact of COVID-19. That shines a harsh light on the conditions of care and policy of care delivery in long-term care homes and assisted living facilities where seniors are placed by families who may feel they cannot undertake that care themselves at home. See list of 30 affected care homes in April 23 article by West Shore Voice News.
Today Dr Henry itemized that there are two ongoing outbreaks in workplaces for a total of 51 cases so far … presently 16 at Superior Poultry in Coquitlam and 35 at United Poultry in East Vancouver (which was closed down a few days ago).
There are 11 cases associated with the Kearl Lake oil sands project industrial plant from which some workers returned to BC.
Moving people off the street:
Today Dr Henry spoke highly of the BC Government’s move to being a process of relocating two homeless encampments off the street in Victoria (and one in Vancouver) and into accommodations with supportive services. That announcement was made earlier today by Minister of Social Responsibility and Poverty Reduction Shane Simpson. For public health, it’s part of a focus to get into a safer space for people to better care for themselves, Dr Henry explained.
===== LINKS:
BC Centre for Disease Control – COVID-19 stats, prevention & risks, self-isolation
Provincial Health Officer Orders re COVID-19 – Orders, Notices & Guidance
===== EDITORIALS:
COVID-19 ushers in changes for seniors, business, education, environment and health (by Mary Brooke, April 23, 2020)
EDITORIAL: Adjusting to COVID-19 is no easy feat and commands humility (by Mary Brooke, March 30, 2020)