B.C.'s death toll from COVID-19 has risen to 724, thanks to 11 new fatalities in the past day, Health Minister Adrian Dix tweeted at 3:23 p.m. on December 18, ahead of the usual official government announcement.
He followed that up with tweets that 356 individuals are in hospital, with 92 of those in intensive care.
"There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks," Dix continued in a follow-up tweet. "There has been one new community outbreak at Rossdown Natural Foods."
Yesterday, 1,376 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were given to B.C. front-line health-care workers, for a total of 2,592 doses to date, according to another follow-up tweet.
Other data has yet to be released.
Dix yesterday said 1,235 people have been hired as part of the government's contact-tracing initiative.
"Our target was to hire 1,224 positions," he said. "100% of this new target is now complete. In addition, we've had additional supports from Statistics Canada. We're actively working with the Red Cross and others to help run our logistics, and run the operational centre of the regional contact tracing hub at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre."
Dix said that in addition to those hired, 385 candidates are in the interview stage, while 121 candidates are in what he called "the offer" stage.
In his tweets, Dix did not note any healthcare facilities' outbreaks have been declared to be over.
That leaves six B.C. hospitals, or acute-care facilities, with active outbreaks. They are:
• Saanich Peninsula Hospital in Saanichton;
• Langley Memorial Hospital in Langley;
• Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver;
• Richmond Hospital in Richmond;
• Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey; and
• Burnaby Hospital in Burnaby.
There are 56 seniors' homes and care facilities with active outbreaks across the province, including 15 such outbreaks in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. They are at:
• Arbutus Care Centre in Vancouver;
• Banfield Pavilion, in Vancouver;
• Revera Capilano Care Centre in West Vancouver;
• Columbus Residence in Vancouver;
• Crofton Manor in Vancouver;
• Fraserview Intermediate Care Lodge in Richmond;
• German Canadian Benevolent Society Home in Vancouver
• Little Mountain Place in Vancouver;
• Renfrew Care Centre in Vancouver;
• Royal Arch Masonic Home long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• St. Judes Anglican Home in Vancouver;
• Sunrise of Vancouver, in Vancouver;
• Three Links Care Centre long-term care facility in Vancouver;
• Villa Carital in Vancouver; and
• Villa Cathay Care Home in Vancouver.
The 35 outbreaks at seniors' facilities in the Fraser Health region include:
• Agassiz Seniors Community in Agassiz;
• Agecare Harmony Court Estates in Burnaby;
• Agecare Court Estates in Burnaby;
• Al Hogg Pavilion in White Rock;
• Amenida Seniors Community in Surrey;
• Baillie House long-term care home in Maple Ridge;
• Belvedere Care Centre in Coquitlam;
• Bradley Centre in Chilliwack;
• CareLife Fleetwood in Surrey;
• Chartwell Langley Gardens in Langley;
• Chilliwack Lifestyles in Chilliwack;
• Courtyard Terrace in Burnaby;
• Fellburn Care Centre long-term care facility in Burnaby;
• Finnish Manor in Burnaby;
• Fort Langley Seniors Community in Fort Langley;
• George Derby Centre in Burnaby;
• Good Samaritan Delta View Care Centre 2 long-term care facility in Delta;
• Harrison Pointe retirement home in Langley;
• Harrison at Elim Village in Surrey;
• Hilton Villa Care Centre in Surrey;
• Hollyrood Manor long-term care home in Maple Ridge;
• Lakeshore Care Centre in Coquitlam;
• Langley Gardens in Langley;
• Laurel Place long-term care facility in Surrey;
• Menno Home in Abbotsford;
• Morgan Place Care Society in Surrey;
• Northcrest Care Centre in Delta;
• Peace Arch Hospital Foundation Lodge in Surrey;
• PICS Assisted Living in Surrey;
• Queen's Park Care Centre in New Westminster;
• Royal City Manor in New Westminster;
• St. Michael's Centre in Burnaby;
• Tabor Home in Abbotsford;
• The Residence at Clayton Heights in Surrey; and
• White Rock Senior Village in White Rock.
The three outbreaks at seniors' homes listed in Northern Health are:
• North Peace Seniors Housing Society buildings in Fort St. John:
• Rotary Manor Dawson Creek in Dawson Creek; and
• Jubilee Lodge in Prince George.
The Interior Health region has three seniors' facility outbreaks, at:
• McKinney Place Residential Care Facility in Oliver;
• Mountainview Village in Kelowna; and
• Village by the Station in Penticton.
