B.C. COVID-19 update Monday: Dr. Henry urges residents to ‘take a step back.’

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From Friday to Saturday, there were 527 cases, 471 from Saturday to Sunday and 346 from Sunday to Monday for a grand total of 64,828.

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Vancouver Coastal Health had 314 cases, Fraser Health had 618, Island Health 73, 234 for Interior Health, 104 for Northern Health and one to a person who normally resides outside Canada.

B.C. has 4,392 active cases with 328 people in hospital, 68 in critical or intensive care.

Currently, 6,607 people are actively being monitored for COVID-19 and 57,831 people, who had the virus, are considered recovered.

Dr. Bonnie Henry reported one new health care outbreak, on one ward of Nanaimo Regional Hospital, while 11 outbreaks are declared over.

“It is a reflection of how important the immunization program in long term care is, and the difference it will make,” the provincial health officer said.

Henry said over the weekend, they received information about holdups of the Pfizer supply.

“The next two weeks, we will have very little vaccine. No Pfizer this week and no new Moderna. We have to manage our supply within the limited amounts we have.”

In addition, vaccines the province were expecting the first week of February have been dramatically reduced and they don’t know how much, if any, they will get the following two weeks in February.

As a result, Henry said second doses in Phase 1 will be delayed until day 42 for the time being, to allow for more shots at long-term care homes and to address outbreaks in communities.

“This is about putting out fires before they get out of control, and giving more people protection from dose one instead of giving some people full protection and leaving others with none.”

Henry said as of Monday, 119,850 doses have been administered, with 56 reports of adverse reactions.

She made a plea for British Columbians to “take a step back,” to stay home and stop social interactions, as B.C. needs to bend the curve downward over next two weeks.

“We have plateaued at 500 cases a day. 500 is too many, and we could see a rapid take-off if the new variants start to transmit,” Henry remarked.

Henry said the province is getting a handle on cases in long-term care homes, but the virus is still circulating in communities.

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Update on outbreaks in Interior Health:

·           Creekside Landing long-term care in Vernon has 35 cases: 20 residents and 15 staff, with one death connected to this outbreak.

·           Noric House long-term care in Vernon has 58 cases: 35 residents and 23 staff, with five deaths connected to this outbreak.

·           Heritage Square long-term care in Vernon has 68 cases: 47 residents and 21 staff, with eight deaths connected to this outbreak.

·           Heritage Retirement Residence in West Kelowna has 46 cases: 41 residents and five staff, with three deaths connected to this outbreak.

·           Royal Inland Hospital (Kamloops) has 48 cases: 20 patients and 28 staff, with one death connected to this outbreak.

o   The outbreak has not yet spread outside 6 South and all precautions are in place to stop further transmission. All staff members who have tested positive are isolating at home.

o   Patients are isolated on the COVID unit and on 6 South. Those who were able to be discharged are isolating at home. 6 South is closed to admissions.

o   We remind the public that the hospital is safe to attend for appointments or emergency care. Please continue with any scheduled procedures. COVID-19 self-isolation is not required after visiting the hospital.

o   Surgeries continue at the hospital at this time. Patients admitted after surgery will be cared for on a different floor.

o   “I understand the public will be anxious about the news of this outbreak at their hospital. It is important, however, that people remain calm and know that a highly skilled team is working to quickly contain this outbreak. Please help us support staff and patients by following all public health precautions as you go about your daily activities,” said Medical Health Officer Dr. Carol Fenton.

o   Vaccinations of frontline staff and physicians will continue this week.

·           Brocklehurst Gemstone long-term care in Kamloops has 23 cases: 16 residents and seven staff, with two deaths connected to this outbreak.

·           Sunnybank long-term care in Oliver has 37 cases: 27 residents and 10 staff, with three deaths connected to this outbreak.

·           Cariboo Memorial Hospital has 12 staff cases.

Outbreak declared over

·           Outbreak at Williams Lake Seniors Village is declared over. There were two cases: one resident and one staff.