Increase in B.C. Covid cases, 8 more deaths

Jan 6, 2021 | 3:44 PM

B.C.’s COVID-19 case count is on the rise again.

Provincial health officials announced 625 new cases on Wednesday (Jan. 6) for a total of 55,254.

That comes after 428 cases on Tuesday and a daily average of 552 over the New Year’s weekend.

There has also been eight more deaths for a total of 962.

One of the new deaths is at the Heritage Square care home in Vernon, the second at that facility.

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There are 6,343 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, with 381 people hospitalized, 78 in intensive care.

Currently, 8,719 people are under active public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases, and a further 46,728 people who tested positive are considered have recovered.

There are 178 new cases in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 305 in Fraser Health, 28 in Island Health, 71 in the Interior Health region, 43 in the Northern Health region and no new cases of people who reside outside of Canada.

To date, 33,665 people have received a COVID-19 vaccine in B.C.

There are two new health-care facility outbreaks at Chilliwack General Hospital and Sunnybank Retirement Home. The outbreaks at Crofton Manor and CareLife Fleetwood are now over.

Interior Health update

· IH is reporting 71 new cases overnight for a total of 4,310.

· 785 cases are active and on isolation.

· 33 people are in hospital; nine of them in ICU.

· Total number of deaths in IH has risen to 34 with one additional death at Heritage Square in Vernon (second one at that facility).

“Sadly today we report another COVID-related death in long-term care. I want to take the time to offer my condolences to the loved ones and caregivers. We are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases throughout Interior Health, so please, stay home if you are feeling unwell, get tested, and use your layers of protection,” said Susan Brown, president and CEO of Interior Health.

Update on outbreaks:

· Outbreak declared at Sunnybank long-term care in Oliver with four staff cases connected to this outbreak.

· Creekside Landing long-term care in Vernon has 13 cases: 10 residents and three staff.

· Williams Lake Seniors Village has two cases: one resident and one staff.

· Noric House long-term care in Vernon has 10 cases: eight residents and two staff.

· Heritage Square long-term care in Vernon has 31 cases: 21 residents and 10 staff, with two deaths connected to this outbreak.

· Heritage Retirement Residence in West Kelowna has 42 cases: 37 residents and five staff, with one death connected to this outbreak.

· Teck mining operations remains at 16 IH cases linked to the outbreak.

· McKinney Place long-term care in Oliver has 77 cases: 54 residents and 23 staff, with 13 deaths connected to this outbreak.

· Village by the Station long-term care in Penticton has nine cases: five residents and four staff, with one death connected to this outbreak.

· Mountainview Village long-term care in Kelowna has 16 cases: eight residents and eight staff, with two deaths connected to this outbreak.

by Pete McIntyre