Hundreds of cases, but few deaths so far in latest wave of COVID-19 outbreaks at B.C. care homes
The number of COVID-19 outbreaks in B.C.'s health-care system has exploded in recent weeks, but so far, relatively few deaths have been connected to the Omicron-driven surge.
Weekly outbreak data published by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control on Thursday shows that, of 39 outbreaks in long-term care homes that were active as of Tuesday morning, only four had seen any deaths.
A total of seven residents have died in outbreaks at Agecare Harmony Court Care Centre, George Derby Centre, Fraserview Intermediate Care Lodge and St. Vincent's Langara Long Term Care. Four of the deaths happened at Agecare Harmony Court, while the other facilities saw one death each.
B.C. has seen a rapid increase in the number of outbreaks in long-term care facilities during the Omicron wave. As of Thursday, there were 53 active outbreaks in health-care settings in the province, including 43 in long-term care homes.
As recently as Dec. 22, there were no active health-care outbreaks anywhere in B.C.
The 39 care home outbreaks captured in this week's BCCDC update have a total of 724 infections associated with them.
The largest one, at the Oxford Senior Care Home in Abbotsford, has seen 59 people test positive - 31 residents and 28 staff members. No deaths are associated with that outbreak.
Most of the other outbreaks on the list have seen between 10 and 30 total cases, and no deaths.
Hundreds of care home residents have died in outbreaks since the pandemic began. The vulnerable population was a priority for B.C.'s initial COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and was among the first groups to be offered booster doses this fall.
Though most of the people contracting the Omicron variant of COVID-19 are vaccinated, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has credited vaccines for the milder illness most of them have experienced.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit natural gas levies to the federal government, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
''It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
'We hoped for this day, but we were scared that it would not never ever come because it took so long.' That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
North Bay doctor accused of assaulting patient, threatening another
A North Bay doctor is facing charges after allegedly assaulting a patient with a weapon and threatening another person at the hospital, police say.