Is B.C. flooding affecting the province's COVID-19 numbers? Not yet, Health Ministry says
Though flooding and mudslides have displaced thousands of B.C. residents and made travel difficult, the provincial Ministry of Health says it has not seen an impact on COVID-19 testing rates in disaster-affected areas.
"We know that the weather emergency has caused delays in transport and affected people’s ability to travel, and are working to minimize disruptions on COVID-19 testing and care," the ministry said in a statement provided to CTV News Vancouver.
CTV News raised the issue with the ministry after noticing a drop in the number of tests reported both province-wide and in the Fraser Health region in the days since the atmospheric river that triggered landslides and inundated several communities across B.C.
According to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control's COVID-19 Dashboard, the province conducted 10,334 COVID-19 tests on Sunday, 9,641 on Monday, 11,826 on Tuesday and 14,062 on Wednesday (the most recent date for which data was available).
Each of those numbers is lower than the total from the corresponding day during the previous week, though not always significantly lower.
For example, the 9,641 tests conducted on Monday, Nov. 15 - when many of the worst effects of the atmospheric river that struck the province were just being realized - was only about 550 fewer than the number conducted on Monday, Nov. 8, when there were no significant road closures or evacuations in B.C.
In contrast, the largest gap in reported test totals was between Tuesday, Nov. 16 - which saw 11,826 tests - and Tuesday, Nov. 9, which saw nearly 3,500 more.
While these fluctuations were all in the same direction - downward - that doesn't necessarily reflect an inability to access testing due to floods, according to the ministry.
"COVID-19 testing rates fluctuate daily, so it is important to look at the trend over time," the ministry said. "It can be difficult to distinguish a true change in the testing rate beyond the usual fluctuations, and to determine how much of that change is due to one specific cause."
The ministry also noted that new cases, new tests and test positivity had all been declining before the flooding began.
B.C.'s rolling seven-day average for new coronavirus infections has been declining in recent weeks, reaching a three-month low during this week's flooding.
The rolling average for test positivity has also been declining, albeit slowly. It was 3.7 on Wednesday, down from 3.9 the previous week.
"There has not yet been an impact on COVID-19 testing rates in the flood-affected regions, but we are monitoring the situation for any changes," the ministry added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
BREAKING Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, claims he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women in Winnipeg, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial fined him US$1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order once again and sternly warned the former president that additional violations could result in jail time.