4 B.C. hospitals declare new COVID-19 outbreaks, dozens of patients test positive
Four more hospitals in B.C. declared COVID-19 outbreaks in the latest wave in the pandemic after multiple patients at each facility tested positive for the disease.
The latest outbreaks were announced Wednesday. One hospital, Kelowna General Hospital, is in the Interior Health region, while the other three are in Fraser Health. That health authority also declared a fourth outbreak in the high intensity rehabilitation unit of a long-term care home.
One of the new outbreaks in Fraser Health is at Burnaby Hospital, where transmission was observed in three separate units. The health authority said eight patients tested positive in an acute care elders unit, three patients tested positive in a surgical unit and two patients in a medical unit tested positive.
Meanwhile, at Langley Memorial Hospital, six patients tested positive in a medicine unit. The third hospital outbreak in Fraser Health is at Peace Arch Hospital, where five patients tested positive in a patient assessment and transition home unit.
All of the impacted units in the three hospitals are closed to admissions, but emergency departments are open at all the facilities.
"Fraser Health has notified all patients on the affected units about each outbreak, and in addition, families of patients who are unable to share this information have been informed," the health authority said in a statement.
Details on the outbreak at Kelowna General Hospital weren't provided by Interior Health, but the provincial Health Ministry announced it in Wednesday's written COVID-19 update.
As of Wednesday, there were 49 ongoing outbreaks in health-care facilities in B.C., according to the ministry. That total includes 39 in long-term care homes, nine in acute-care facilities, such as hospitals, and one in an assisted or independent living facility.
The other B.C. hospitals experiencing outbreaks include Surrey Memorial, Eagle Ridge, Royal Columbian and Abbotsford Regional.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.