(Image Credit: BC Government)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

COVID-19 BC UPDATE

B.C health officials attribute majority of 95 new COVID-19 cases to existing outbreaks

Apr 25, 2020 | 1:31 PM

VICTORIA — BC health officials say there have been 95 new cases of COVID-19 identified since Friday, for a total of 1,948 cases in British Columbia.

In an update today (Apr. 25), provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry stated the majority of new cases in this spike are related to existing community outbreaks of COVID-19.

After identifying an outbreak at the Mission Federal Correctional Facility, Dr. Henry says additional testing was conducted there, and 40 of today’s new reported cases are related to that facility. There are now 106 inmates who have tested positive, and 12 staff members.

“Over the last few days we have been systematically testing all of the inmates and any of the staff who have any symptoms at all,” she explains, “So we’ve been looking at if we can find people with minimal, or asymptomatic, or minimal symptoms for the most part. And so that’s why we’re seeing that big jump today.”

Dr. Henry says despite the growth in numbers, they are making headway in handling the outbreak in that facility.

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Outbreaks have also been previously identified at two poultry processing plants in the province, with 16 of today’s new cases related to the Superior Poultry outbreak.

The other facility- United Poultry, remains at 35 positive cases as of Saturday.

Two additional deaths were reported today, bringing the provincial count of lives lost to 100. Dr. Henry says one of the fatalities in the last 24 hours was also the first virus-related death of an Indigenous person in B.C.

“This is a tragedy that’s beyond just us. It’s a tragedy for all of us. Our elders in particular in our First Nations communities are culture and history keepers. When they become ill, and when they die, we all lose,” she says, “I want you to know that we feel that collective loss today. My thoughts are with her family, and her entire community as I recognize the tragic impact this has on all of them.”

Of the total cases in British Columbia, 778 have been identified in Vancouver Coastal Health, 853 in Fraser Health, 115 within Vancouver Island Health, 160 in Interior Health, and 42 cases have been confirmed in Northern Health.

96 people are currently hospitalized, with 41 being treated in intensive, or critical care units.

As of Saturday, Dr. Henry notes that 1,137 people are now considered fully recovered from COVID-19.

To access the BC Centre for Disease Control website, click here. 

For the BC Government COVID-19 resource page, click here.