What happened: The number of new COVID-19 cases in B.C. jumped by 71, to 1,795, on April 22, perhaps showing that the trajectory of new cases has not yet been flattened. In recent days, the number of new infections within 24-hour periods has been in the 20s. Hospitalizations, however, are down by six in the past 24 hours, to 103.
Why this matters: Flattening the curve in new infections is expected to have a direct impact on flattening the curve in the number of hospitalized patients, patients in intensive care units, and deaths.
B.C. on April 22 reported a spike in the number of new COVID-19 infections even as its number of hospitalized patients has been on the wane. Keeping the number of infections down is a key factor in government deciding to loosen restrictions on large gatherings, travel and eating in restaurants.
The 71 new cases in a 24-hour period is high compared with recent days, and provincial health officer Bonnie Henry said that high infection rates could be a stumbling block to getting back to normal.
"Until we clear this hurdle we can't begin to make changes," she said.
Most of the 1,795 people who have had the virus, or 1,079 people, have recovered.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases by health region are:
• 745 in Vancouver Coastal Health;
• 747 in Fraser Health;
• 110 in Island Health;
• 153 in Interior Health; and
• 40 in Northern Health.
There are 103 individuals currently hospitalized with 46 of those in intensive care
Health Minister Adrian Dix said April 22 that the six fewer hospitalizations was a good sign. He added that the 103 current hospitalizations is "the lowest number of cases we've had in the month of April, down from a high of 149." He added that the number of intensive care cases, at 46, is also at a low for the month.
Large current outbreaks include 77 people at the medium-security federal prison Mission Institution. There are also 28 cases that are related to the United Poultry Co. processing plant in East Vancouver.
Three more deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, all of which were in seniors' care homes. That makes for a total of 90 COVID-19 deaths in B.C., with most of those being either workers or residents in seniors' care homes or other living facilities.
Three new seniors' homes have had outbreaks in the past 24 hours: Eden Care Centre, Guildford Seniors Village and New Vista Care Home. All three are in the Fraser Health region. That makes for a total of 29 seniors' care homes that have had outbreaks.
Seniors' homes that have had outbreaks that have been declared over are:
• Vancouver's German Canadian House long-term care facility;
• Vancouver's Villa Cathay long-term care facility;
• Vancouver's Little Mountain long-term care facility;
• West Vancouver's Inglewood Care Centre;
• White Rock's Amica Retirement Home long-term care facility;
• Surrey's Harrison at Elim Village long-term care facility;
• Delta's Delta View long-term care facility;
• Port Coquitlam's Shaughnessy Care Centre long-term care facility;
• West Vancouver's Hollyburn House; and
• White Rock's Evergreen Baptist Complex (includes assisted living and long-term care facility, and manor - seniors rental).
Some of those homes had outbreaks that were declared over only to be once again put on the list of homes that have active outbreaks. The homes that on April 16 were listed as having a second wave of outbreaks were then taken off that list the next day, so it is possible that there was not in fact any new outbreaks and that the homes were listed that way in error.
Regardless, the other seniors' care homes or living facilities that have active outbreaks are:
• North Vancouver's Lynn Valley Care Centre;
• North Vancouver's Amica Edgemont Village;
• North Vancouver's Berkley Care Centre long-term care facility.
• Vancouver's Haro Park Centre;
• Vancouver's Central City Lodge;
• Vancouver's Broadway Pentecostal Lodge long-term care facility;
• Vancouver's Windermere Care Centre long-term care facility;
• Vancouver's South Granville Park Lodge;
• Vancouver's Royal Arch Masonic Home long-term care facility;
• Burnaby's Swedish Canadian Manor assisted living;
• Coquitlam's Dufferin Care Centre;
• Langley's Langley Gardens long-term care facility;
• Langley's Langley Lodge long-term care facility;
• Mission's Cedarbrook Chateau independent living;
• Abbotsford's Cottage-Worthington Pavilion; and
• Cranbrook's Kootenay Street Village long-term care facility.
There has also been an outbreak at an acute-care unit at Ridge Meadows Hospital in the Fraser Health region, and Henry and Dix have referred to that outbreak as being part of outbreaks at seniors' care homes.
