With 24 more COVID-19-related deaths recorded in B.C. in the past 24 hours, and 133 such deaths in the past week, the province is going through the deadliest stretch of the pandemic that it has yet faced.
The death toll now sits at 692, meaning that nearly 20% of all COVID-19-related deaths in the province so far have happened in the past seven days.
Evidence that this grim news is likely to continue can be found in the record number of British Columbians now in hospital with COVID-19-related illnesses: 362 individuals, up by one from yesterday. Of those, 91 people are in intensive care units, down two from yesterday.
New COVID-19 cases continue to rack up, with 640 new people having infections detected in the past 24 hours. That brings the province's total number of infections to 44,103, since the first one was detected on January 28.
More than 73%, or 32,376 people, have recovered, while 9,950 people are actively fighting infections. The vast majority of those actively infected have been told to stay home and self-isolate. Health officials are keeping a close eye on 10,538 more people, who they know have been exposed to infected individuals.
The Fraser Health region remains the hardest-hit part of the province.
Here is a breakdown of the new cases by health region:
• 98 (15.3%) in Vancouver Coastal Health;
• 399 (62.3%) in Fraser Health;
• five (0.7%) in Island Health;
• 91 (14.2%) in Interior Health; and
• 47 (7.3%) in Northern Health.
Provincial health officer Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix highlighted some recent positive news in their joint December 16 statement.
"Yesterday, 409 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were given to B.C. front-line health-care workers," they said. "Starting next week, the province will receive weekly vaccine deliveries for clinics in every health region throughout the province. Specific timing will be provided once confirmed."
There have been no new community outbreaks.
Outbreaks at Sun Pointe Village in Kelowna, Gateway Lodge in Prince George, and the University Hospital of Northern BC are over.
That leaves six B.C. hospitals, or acute-care facilities, with active outbreaks. They are:
• Saanich Peninsula Hospital in Saanichton;
• Langley Memorial Hospital in Langley;
• Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver;
• Richmond Hospital in Richmond;
• Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey; and
• Burnaby Hospital in Burnaby.
Henry and Dix said that there is one new outbreak at a seniors' long-term care facility named Sunrise of Vancouver, on West 57th Avenue.
That means that there are now 15 seniors' facilities with active outbreaks in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. They are at:
• Arbutus Care Centre in Vancouver;
• Banfield Pavilion, in Vancouver;
• Revera Capilano Care Centre in West Vancouver;
• Columbus Residence in Vancouver;
• Crofton Manor in Vancouver;
• Fraserview Intermediate Care Lodge in Richmond;
• German Canadian Benevolent Society Home in Vancouver
• Little Mountain Place in Vancouver;
• Renfrew Care Centre in Vancouver;
• Royal Arch Masonic Home long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• St. Judes Anglican Home in Vancouver;
• Sunrise of Vancouver, in Vancouver;
• Three Links Care Centre long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• Villa Carital in Vancouver; and
• Villa Cathay Care Home in Vancouver.
The 35 outbreaks at seniors' facilities in the ​Fraser Health region include:
• Agassiz Seniors Community in Agassiz;
• Agecare Harmony Court Estates in Burnaby;
• Agecare Court Estates in Burnaby;
• Al Hogg Pavilion in White Rock;
• Amenida Seniors Community in Surrey;
• Baillie House long-term care home in Maple Ridge;
• Belvedere Care Centre in Coquitlam;
• Bradley Centre in Chilliwack;
• CareLife Fleetwood in Surrey;
• Chartwell Langley Gardens in Langley;
• Chilliwack Lifestyles in Chilliwack;
• Courtyard Terrace in Burnaby;
• Fellburn Care Centre long-term care facility in Burnaby;
• Finnish Manor in Burnaby;
• Fort Langley Seniors Community in Fort Langley;
• George Derby Centre in Burnaby;
• Good Samaritan Delta View Care Centre 2 long-term care facility in Delta;
• Harrison Pointe retirement home in Langley;
• Harrison at Elim Village in Surrey;
• Hilton Villa Care Centre in Surrey;
• Hollyrood Manor long-term care home in Maple Ridge;
• Lakeshore Care Centre in Coquitlam;
• Langley Gardens in Langley;
• Laurel Place long-term care facility in Surrey;
• Menno Home in Abbotsford;
• Morgan Place Care Society in Surrey;
• Northcrest Care Centre in Delta;
• Peace Arch Hospital Foundation Lodge in Surrey;
• PICS Assisted Living in Surrey;
• Queen's Park Care Centre in New Westminster;
• Royal City Manor in New Westminster;
• St. Michael's Centre in Burnaby;
• Tabor Home in Abbotsford;
• The Residence at Clayton Heights in Surrey; and
• White Rock Senior Village in White Rock.
The three outbreaks at seniors' homes listed in Northern Health are:
• North Peace Seniors Housing Society buildings in Fort St. John;
• Rotary Manor Dawson Creek in Dawson Creek; and
• Jubilee Lodge in Prince George.
The Interior Health region has three seniors' facility outbreaks, at:
• McKinney Place Residential Care Facility in Oliver;
• Mountainview Village in Kelowna; and
• Village by the Station in Penticton.
