What happened: The number of official COVID-19 cases that are connected with people at seniors' homes in B.C. is rising but the number of homes with active cases is relatively contained at 24, including three where outbreaks are said to be fully under control.
Why it matters: Seniors are most vulnerable to the virus that has caused a global pandemic and they have a reported approximate 15% fatality rate if they catch the virus.
While there were no new outbreaks of COVID-19 at any seniors' care home overnight, there were three new cases, provincial health officer Bonnie Henry told media April 7.
The B.C. government also for the first time revealed the names of three homes where outbreaks have occurred since April 1:
•Vancouver's Central City Lodge;
•North Vancouver's Amica Edgemont Village; and
•Abbotsford's Cottage-Worthington Pavilion.
Business in Vancouver's sister publication North Shore News had reported April 1 that Amica Edgemont Village had two cases of the virus, but that information was based on a letter sent to family members, and not the B.C. government. The North Shore News then followed that up earlier today with a story to say that two residents have died at that care home. It is unclear whether those two deaths are included in the provincial tally of 43 that Henry revealed April 7.
Henry and other health officials consider outbreaks at three of 24 seniors' care homes that have had at least one case of COVID-19 to be officially over. They are:
•Vancouver's German Canadian House long-term care facility;
•Vancouver's Little Mountain long-term care facility; and
•West Vancouver's Inglewood Care Centre.
Henry yesterday (April 6) said outbreaks at those three homes are "declared over" because there have been no new cases at those homes in two consecutive incubation periods, or four weeks. The names of the homes were not officially released until today.
The three new COVID-19 cases in seniors' homes bump the total number of cases at these facilities to 213. Infected people include 132 residents and 81 workers. It is not clear in which homes the three new cases were recorded.
All of the outbreaks at seniors' homes in B.C. have been in the Vancouver Coastal Health or Fraser Health regions.
North Vancouver's Lynn Valley Care Centre and Vancouver's Haro Park Centre remain the only two homes that have had large outbreaks, including many dozen cases. West Vancouver's Hollyburn House at last report had recorded two cases: one resident and one worker.
The other 15 homes where the B.C. government has confirmed there have been COVID-19 outbreaks are all ones where there have been one case, as of April 1:
• North Vancouver's Berkley Care Centre long-term care facility.
• Vancouver's Broadway Pentecostal Lodge long-term care facility;
• Vancouver's Windermere Care Centre long-term care facility;
• Vancouver's Villa Cathay long-term care facility;
• Vancouver's Royal Arch Masonic Home long-term care facility;
• Delta's Delta View long-term care facility;
• Coquitlam's Dufferin Care Centre;
• Surrey's Harrison at Elim Village long-term care facility;
• Langley's Langley Gardens long-term care facility;
• Langley's Langley Lodge long-term care facility;
• Port Coquitlam's Shaughnessy Care Centre long-term care facility;
• White Rock's Amica Retirement Home long-term care facility;
• White Rock's Evergreen Baptist Complex (includes assisted living and long-term care facility, and manor - seniors rental);
• Burnaby's Swedish Canadian Manor assisted living; and
• Mission's Cedarbrook Chateau independent living.
For a broader look at the 1,291 cases B.C.-wide, and the 43 deaths, click here.
