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New COVID-19 infections stay high, as the positive-test rate rises above 3%

The BCCDC identified 167 new cases of the virus in the past 24 hours
Dr. Bonnie Henry
Provincial health officer Bonnie Henry regularly provides updates on the extent of COVID-19 in B.C.

The number of new COVID-19 cases in B.C. remains as high as it has ever been, with an ominous 666 new cases in the past four days – a record for that stretch of time.

In just the past 24 hours, the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control identified 167 new cases – with almost three-quarters of those new cases in the Fraser Health region. There were 5,314 tests conducted, for a test-positive rate of 3.14% – the highest that rate has been in at least many weeks.

The vast majority of the 1,688 people actively battling infections are self-isolating at home, although the number of people hospitalized in B.C. with the illness that spawned a global pandemic crept up by two, to 69, while 18 of those people are sick enough to be in intensive care units.

The percentage of infected British Columbians in hospital is considerably lower than it was in the early months of the pandemic. Little more than 4% of people actively fighting COVID-19 infections are now in hospital. Back in early April, nearly one-third of all people in B.C. fighting the virus were hospitalized. 

Of the 11,854 people who have been infected with the virus since January, when it was first detected in B.C., more than 83%, or 9,871 people have recovered. 

One person has newly died while infected with the virus, raising the province's death toll from COVID-19 to 254, B.C.'s provincial health officer Bonnie Henry and deputy minister of health, Stephen Brown, said in a joint statement.

That leaves 41 people who are unaccounted for, with health officials saying that they likely left the province without alerting authorities. 

There were new cases identified overnight in all health regions. The breakdown of all known infections in B.C. by health region is now:
• 4,175 in Vancouver Coastal Health (up 29);
• 6,366 in Fraser Health (up 122);
• 244 in Island Health (up one);
• 624 in Interior Health (up 13);
• 357 in Northern Health (up seven); and
• 88 people who reside outside Canada (no change).

There remain active outbreaks at two B.C. hospitals: Surrey Memorial Hospital and Delta Hospital.

Three new outbreaks were detected at seniors' homes, while three previously detected outbreaks at those facilities are now declared over.

The new long-term care or assisted-living facilities that have outbreaks are:
• Evergreen Baptist Care Society in White Rock;
• Good Samaritan Victoria Heights in New Westminster; and
• Sunset Manor in Chilliwack.

The three long-term care or assisted-living facilities with outbreaks declared over are:
• George Derby Centre in Burnaby;
• Langley Lodge in Langley; and
• Chartwell Crescent Gardens in Surrey.

There are 14 additional seniors' long-term care or assisted-living facilities that have ongoing outbreaks. They are:
• Royal Arch Masonic Home in Vancouver;
• Weinberg Residence in Vancouver;
• Haro Park Centre long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• Point Grey Private Hospital long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• Harrison West at Elim Village in Surrey;
• Peace Portal Seniors Village in Surrey;
• PICS assisted living facility in Surrey;
• Rosemary Heights Seniors Village in Surrey;
• Zion Park Manor in Surrey;
• The Village in Langley;
• Chartwell Carrington House Retirement Resident in Mission;
• White Rock Seniors' Village in White Rock;
• Thornebridge Gardens in New Westminster; and
• Good Samaritan Delta View Care Centre long-term care facility.

gkorstrom@biv.com

@GlenKorstrom