Tuesday, April 21, 2020

COVID-19 update for Tuesday, makes note of cross roads period for provincial response



Tuesday's COVID review found a return to what has been a baseline result of recents weeks of new cases listed in the mid twenties, with the total amount crossing over the 1700 mark since the Province began the daily process of keeping British Columbians informed.

Today, Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix also made note of the first food processing situation in the province, which has seen a poultry facility in BC closed owing to the COVID-19 virus.

As for the outline for the day, 25 new test positive cases were relayed, making for a total of 1,724 cases in British Columbia to date.

Of the cases confirmed in British Columbia,  707 in the Coastal Health Region, 715 are in the Fraser Health region, 109 are in the Island Health region, 153 are in the Interior Health region and 40 are in the Northern Health region, that in increase of one from Monday.

The health officials also shared sad news of a another passing from the virus.

 “We are saddened to report one new COVID-19 related death in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, for a total of 87 deaths in British Columbia. We offer our condolences to everyone who has lost their loved ones. 

Dr, Henry observed  that have been no new outbreaks in long-term care and assisted-living facilities the last day. In total, 20 facilities and one acute-care unit have active outbreaks, with outbreaks declared over at six care facilities.

As has been the case with a recent situation in Alberta, British Columbia has seen its first food processing plant closure related to a COVID-19 outbreak, that at a poultry facility in East Vancouver.

“An outbreak has been identified at the United Poultry Company in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. To date, 28 employees have been confirmed positive through active contact tracing by public heath. Close contacts have been notified and ordered to self-isolate. The plant has been closed to slow further transmission, and public health teams are providing support."

The update also revisited the background to correctional facilities in BC, and the recent outbreak in an oil sands camp in Alberta.

1,041 patients have now been listed as fully recovered from COVID-19. Of the total COVID-19 cases, 109 individuals are hospitalized, and 51 of those are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation.

Dr. Henry noted that as the province considers how to go about relaxing the current restrictions, there is still a need to remain committed to the process to this point, noting how it has been hard on residents, but that we can look to the future and how the current situation is not forever

"We are at that important cross roads in these few weeks right now, and I know you have heard this before, but every day counts and every action counts. And we look at what's happened with the most recent outbreak and we need to find the cases in our community, we need to contain these outbreaks so that they don't spread.

And when we are maintaining our distances, these unrecognized transmissions don't spread widely, we don't get those explosive outbreaks that we've seen in some other communities. But this remains incredibly important right now, this virus continues to circulate in our communities around the province ...

Right now is so important for all of us to recognize in ourselves and in those we are working with. If you have a respiratory illness stay home, if you have a cough, if you have the sniffles, if you're feeling unwell, stay home. That is the most important thing that we need to continue to do within our communities, our families and our businesses right now"


You can review the full COVID-19 statement from Tuesday here.     


The BC Centre for Disease control has some valuable Coronavirus notes related to COVID-19 you can explore that information here.

You can learn more about the outbreak from both the Province and the Federal government from the links below:

Federal Government site

British Columbia Government site

The World Health Organization website also offers up the latest advisories on the global situation.

More from  Northern Health can be reviewed here 

You can review our archive of past statements and local information here.

Local governments and organizations have also provided for increased awareness of COVID-19 issues, the string of statements that came quickly at the end of the week can be reviewed here.

For notes from across Canada and British Columbia we have been archiving the latest items through our political portal Darcy McGee

Ottawa Observations

Victoria Viewpoints

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