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Active COVID-19 cases in B.C. reach new high: 3,120

Number of people under active health monitoring for potential sickness has also reached a new high: 7,133
Adrian Dix
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix has been providing some updates on the extent of COVID-19 in B.C.

There are 3,120 people actively battling COVID-19 infections in B.C. – more than ever before, according to government data released November 4.

Statistics show a steep and steady rise in the number of people infected with the disease through October, which started with 1,261 people actively fighting the virus that has spawned a global pandemic
The rise in those actively infected with COVID-19 has come thanks to the number of newly detected daily cases rising faster than has the recovery rate.

The B.C. government reported 335 new cases in the past 24 hours, for a total of 16,135 cases since the virus was first detected in B.C. in late January. With 8,848 tests conducted in the past day, the positive-test rate has plunged to 3.78 from 6.16% yesterday, which was the highest that rate has been in at least many weeks. 

Rising numbers of infected people have led to increased numbers of people in hospital and in intensive care units. It has also led to an increase in the number of deaths.

There are now 92 people in hospital – the same number as yesterday, and higher than any other day since late April. Of those, 25 people are in intensive care units.

One new person has died from the disease, making the province's death toll 273.

The vast majority of those infected, or 12,659, have recovered, while 83 people are unaccounted for, with health officials telling BIV that the most likely reason is that they left the province without alerting health officials.

Those officials are keeping a close eye on 7,133 people, who have been exposed to known cases. That number has never been higher.

Here is the breakdown of all detected COVID-19 cases in B.C., by health region, with new cases identified overnight in brackets:

• 5,097 in Vancouver Coastal Health (104);
• 9,439 in Fraser Health (205);
• 274 in Island Health (four);
• 803 in Interior Health (15);
• 432 in Northern Health (seven); and
• 90 people who reside outside Canada (no change).

"There has been one new community outbreak at La Casa resort in West Kelowna," Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Bonnie Henry said in a joint statement.

"The outbreak at Tim Horton's in Merritt has been declared over. There also continue to be exposure events around the province."

New outbreaks at seniors' care centres or living facilities include ones at Hawthorne Seniors Care Community in Port Coquitlam, White Rock Senior Village and Village at Mill Creek in Kelowna.

One at Peace Portal Seniors Village in Surrey has been declared over.

Other active outbreaks in seniors' facilities in Vancouver Coastal Health 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, other outbreaks at those homes include:

• 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;
• PICS assisted-living facility in Surrey;
• Queen's Park Care Centre in New Westminster;
• 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.

One final seniors' home with an outbreak is the Rotary Manor Dawson Creek facility in Dawson Creek, in Northern Health.

gkorstrom@biv.com

@GlenKorstrom