With vaccines set to roll out next week in B.C., a ray of light is on the horizon. However, the dark clouds that are the high daily totals of new deaths related to the pandemic still proliferate.
B.C. on December 9 lost 16 more people to the virus that spawned a global pandemic, bringing the province's death toll so far to 559. That total includes 118 people so far in December.
There were 619 new cases for a total of 39,337 cases since the first infection was detected in B.C. on January 28. Given that there were 12,598 tests administered, the positive-test rate was 4.8%.
More than 72% of those infected, or 28,448 people have recovered.
Of the 9,329 people actively fighting infections, 338 are in hospital, with 75 of those in intensive care units. Most of those fighting infections have been told to self-isolate at home.
Health officials are monitoring 11,526 people for symptoms because those individuals have been exposed to people known to be infected.
Fraser Health remains the largest source for new infections, and here is a breakdown of the new cases by health region:
• 121 in Vancouver Coastal Health;
• 384 in Fraser Health;
• five in Island Health;
• 81 in Interior Health;
• 27 in Northern Health; and
• one person who resides outside B.C.
One new healthcare outbreak has been declared at the Courtyard Terrace Seniors' Community in Burnaby.
An outbreaks in part of Burnaby Hospital has been declared over but there is still an outbreak at the facility. There has also been an outbreak declared over at Royal Ascot Care Centre in Vancouver.
There are eight hospitals in the province with active outbreaks, and 57 seniors' care homes or living facilities. In total, those outbreaks account for 1,831 affected people: 1,149 residents and 642 staff.
The hospitals with outbreaks are:
• University Hospital of Northern B.C. in Prince George.
• West Coast General Hospital in Port Alberni;
• Saanich Peninsula Hospital in Saanichton;
• Burnaby Hospital in Burnaby;
• Langley Memorial Hospital in Langley;
• Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver;
• Richmond Hospital in Richmond; and
• Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey.
The seniors' facilities include 13 active outbreaks in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, at:
• Arbutus Care Centre in Vancouver;
• Banfield Pavilion, in Vancouver;
• Revera Capilano Care Centre in West Vancouver;
• Columbus Residence in Vancouver;
• Crofton Manor in Vancouver;
• German Canadian Care Home in Vancouver;
• Little Mountain Place in Vancouver;
• Renfrew Care Centre in Vancouver;
• Royal Arch Masonic Home long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• St. Judes Anglican Home in Vancouver;
• Three Links Care Centre long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• Villa Cathay Care Home in Vancouver; and
• Windermere Care Centre in Vancouver.
The 36 outbreaks at seniors' facilities in the Fraser Health region include:
• Agassiz Seniors Community in Agassiz;
• Agecare Harmony Court Estates in Burnaby;
• Agecare Court Estates in Burnaby;
• Al Hogg Pavilion in White Rock;
• Amenida Seniors Community in Surrey;
• Amica White Rock in White Rock;
• Baillie House long-term care home in Maple Ridge;
• Belvedere Care Centre in Coquitlam;
• Bradley Centre in Chilliwack;
• CareLife Fleetwood in Surrey;
• Chartwell Langley Gardens in Langley;
• Chilliwack Lifestyles in Chilliwack;
• Courtyard Terrace in Burnaby;
• Fellburn Care Centre long-term care facility in Burnaby;
• Finnish Manor in Burnaby;
• Fleetwood Villa Retirement Residence in Surrey;
• Fort Langley Seniors Community in Fort Langley;
• George Derby Centre in Burnaby;
• Good Samaritan Delta View Care Centre 2 long-term care facility in Delta;
• Harrison Pointe retirement home in Langley;
• Harrison at Elim Village in Surrey;
• Hollyrood Manor long-term care home in Maple Ridge;
• Lakeshore Care Centre in Coquitlam;
• Langley Gardens in Langley;
• Laurel Place long-term care facility in Surrey;
• Menno Home in Abbotsford;
• Morgan Place Care Society in Surrey;
• Northcrest Care Centre in Delta;
• Peace Arch Hospital Foundation Lodge in Surrey;
• PICS Assisted Living in Surrey;
• Queen's Park Care Centre in New Westminster;
• Royal City Manor in New Westminster;
• Tabor Home in Abbotsford;
• The Residence at Clayton Heights in Surrey;
• The Residence in Mission; and
• White Rock Senior Village in White Rock.
There are three outbreaks at seniors' homes in Northern Health:
• North Peace Seniors Housing Society buildings in Fort St. John;
• Rotary Manor Dawson Creek in Dawson Creek; and
• Gateway House long-term care home in Prince George.
Two outbreaks are at seniors' living facilities in the Island Health region: Tsawaayuss-Rainbow Gardens in Port Alberni and Veterans Memorial Lodge at Broadmead in Victoria.
The Interior Health region has four seniors' facility outbreaks, at:
• McKinney Place Residential Care Facility in Oliver;
• Mountainview Village in Kelowna;
• Sun Pointe Village in Kelowna; and
• Village by the Station in Penticton.
