Another six British Columbians have died overnight from complications related to the COVID-19 virus, bringing the province's death toll from the pandemic to 1,240, according to Ministry of Health statistics.
Some good news can be seen in the recent reduction in the number of serious COVID-19 infections.
The number of hospitalized patients battling COVID-19 has fallen significantly through 2021, and now sits at 257. At the end of 2020, there were 374 people battling the virus in hospitals across the province. There have not been as few people battling COVID-19 in B.C. hospitals since November 20.
Of those hospitalized, 76 people are in intensive care units, down by four from yesterday.
The number of people actively battling infections is now 4,447, which is within the range of the past week.
Health officials are monitoring 6,943 people for potential infections because those individuals have had known exposure to identified cases. That is 106 fewer people than yesterday, and is the lowest total in more than a week.
Unfortunately, new cases continue to pile up. With 465 people newly identified in the past 24 hours as carrying the virus, the total number of people in B.C. who have caught COVID-19 is 69,245.
Health officials consider more than 89.6% of those infected, or 62,078 people, as having recovered because those individuals have tested negative twice.
Here is the breakdown of where the 465 new cases are located:
• 98 people in Vancouver Coastal Health (21.1%);
• 234 people in Fraser Health (50.3%);
• 27 in Island Health (5.8%);
• 54 in Interior Health (11.6%); and
• 52 in Northern Health (11.2%).
One new healthcare-facility outbreak is at the Mountain View Manor in Ladner. The outbreak at Chartwell Malaspina Care Residence in Nanaimo is considered to be over.
Hospitals with outbreaks include:
• Burnaby General Hospital in Burnaby;
• Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake;
• Mount St. Joseph's Hospital in Vancouver;
• Nanaimo Regional General Hospital in Nanaimo;
• Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster;
• Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops;
• St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver;
• Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey; and
• University Hospital of Northern B.C. in Prince George.
COVID-19 outbreaks remain at 24 seniors' care homes, assisted-living facilities and retirement residences across the province.
The three active outbreaks at seniors' living facilities in Vancouver Coastal Health are at:
• Hilltop House in Squamish,
• Minoru Residence in Richmond; and
• Holy Family long-term care centre in Vancouver.
There are 13 active outbreaks at seniors' living facilities in Fraser Health. They are at:
• Bradley Centre in Chilliwack;
• Concord By the Sea in White Rock;
• CareLife Fleetwood in Surrey;
• Eagle Ridge Manor in Port Moody;
• Evergreen Baptist Care Society in White Rock;
• George Derby Centre in Burnaby;
• Glenwood Seniors Community in Agassiz;
• Hilton Villa Seniors Community in Surrey;
• Madison Care Centre in Coquitlam;
• Mountain View Manor in Ladner;
• Royal City Manor in New Westminster;
• St. Michael's Centre Extended Care in Burnaby; and
• Suncreek Village in Surrey.
The two active outbreaks at a seniors' living facilities in Northern Health are at Jubilee Lodge in Prince George, and Acropolis Manor in Prince Rupert.
The six active outbreaks at seniors' living facilities in Interior Health are at:
• Brocklehurst Gemstone Care Centre in Kamloops;
• Creekside Landing in Vernon;
• Heritage Square in Vernon;
• Noric House in Vernon;
• Sunnybank Retirement Home in Oliver; and
• Westsyde Care Residences in Kamloops.
There are no outbreaks at seniors' facilities in Island Health.
"In B.C., our curve is slowly moving downward," provincial health officer Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a joint statement. "With each day we keep our wall strong and show compassion and kindness to those around us, we can keep the trend going."
