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B.C. posts a record 425 new COVID-19 cases in past 24 hours

Number of people fighting infections has risen to a record 3,389
Dr. Bonnie Henry
B.C. provincial health officer Bonnie Henry has been providing updates on the extent of COVID-19 in B.C.

The number of new COVID-19 infections in B.C. continues to surge, with a record 425 cases detected in the past 24 hours, provincial health officer Bonnie Henry said November 5. The number of people actively fighting infections has also risen – to a record 3,389.

More than 63% of the new cases are in the Fraser Health region, which has been the epicentre for the recent surge in cases for many weeks.

There have now been 16,560 infections detected since the virus first was discovered in B.C. in late January, with 12,806 people recovering so far.

Here is the breakdown of all detected COVID-19 cases in B.C., by health region, with new cases identified overnight in brackets:
• 5,223 in Vancouver Coastal Health (126);
• 9,707 in Fraser Health (268);
• 281 in Island Health (seven);
• 821 in Interior Health (18);
• 438 in Northern Health (six); and
• 90 people who reside outside Canada (no change).

Henry said that 11,020 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours, making the positive-test rate in the past day 3.8%.

There were no new deaths, leaving the province's death toll from the pandemic at 273.

The number of people with COVID-19 in hospital continues to rise, and is up five from yesterday, at 97 people. There are 24 people now in intensive care units of hospitals. 

The vast majority of those fighting infections are self-isolating at home. Health offiicals are separately monitoring another 7,519 people for signs of the virus because they have been identified as having been in contact with at least one known case.

The challenge for health officials is that the incubation period for COVID-19 is much longer than it is for the flu. 

"With this virus, most people's incubation period is longer [than the few days that is normal for the flu,]" Henry said. "It can be up to two weeks. Most people get sick about Day Five - Day Seven, after they've been exposed. So we have a period of time where we can take people out of harm's way, essentially, and monitor them."

She stressed that health officials have no medications that can stop people from getting sick. 

"But," she said, "We can remove you from those situations where you might be infecting others. But we've also learned that some people can transmit this virus before they realize they're sick. So that's where we get into that challenging period, where we want to make sure we're not in group situations with large numbers of people, indoors, crowded, close to each other, sharing food and drinks, talking, kissing."

One example of a situation that Henry said she wants to avoid in B.C. was a wedding in the U.S. that included a father of the bride who was non-symptomatic and hugged many guests, thereby spreading COVID-19 widely.

New outbreaks at seniors' care homes and living facilities include one at Tabor Home in Abbotsford, and another at Pinegrove Place in Richmond. 

The outbreak at Queen's Park Care Centre in New Westminster has been declared over. 

Dozens of outbreaks remain at seniors' care homes and living facilities.

Ones that have not yet been declared over in the Vancouver Coastal Health region include:
• Haro Park Centre long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• Lakeview Care Centre in Vancouver;
• Louis Brier Home & Hospital in Vancouver;
• Royal Arch Masonic Home long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• Three Links Care Centre long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• Banfield Pavilion, the 4th Floor West long-term care facility, in Vancouver;
• Yaletown House long-term care facility in Vancouver; and
• Hamilton Village Care Centre long-term care facility in Richmond.

In ​Fraser Health, active outbreaks are at:
• Agassiz Seniors Community in Agassiz;
• Amenida Seniors Community in Surrey;
• Belvedere Care Centre in Coquitlam;
• CareLife Fleetwood in Surrey;
• Evergreen Baptist Care Society long-term care facility in White Rock;
• Fair Haven Homes Burnaby Lodge in Burnaby;
• Fellburn Care Centre long-term care facility in Burnaby;
• Laurel Place long-term care facility in Surrey;
• Mayfair Terrace Retirement Residence in Port Coquitlam;
• Hawthorne Seniors Care Community in Port Coquitlam;
• PICS assisted-living facility in Surrey;
• Rosemary Heights Seniors Village independent-, assisted- and long-term care facility in Surrey;
• St. Michael's Centre long-term care facility in Burnaby;
• The Gateway Assisted Living for Seniors in Surrey; and
• White Rock Senior Village in White Rock;
• Good Samaritan Delta View Care Center 2 long-term care facility in Delta.

Other seniors' homes with outbreaks are the Rotary Manor Dawson Creek facility in Dawson Creek, in Northern Health; and Village at Mill Creek in Kelowna, in the Interior Health region.

The outbreak at Kelowna's École de l'Anse-au-sable has also been declared over. 

gkorstrom@biv.com

@GlenKorstrom