North Shore records 81 more COVID-19 cases

The North Shore reported 81 more cases of COVID-19 in the week of Dec. 13 to 19. Nineteen of those cases were in West Vancouver, while 62 cases were in North Vancouver.

The numbers show a continued levelling of new COVID-19 cases on the North Shore, despite cumulative cases in the North Shore-Coast Garibaldi health region now topping 2,000.

Figures released by B.C.’s Centre for Disease Control this week show there have been 2,038 cases of coronavirus reported in the North Shore-Coast Garibaldi health area since the pandemic began.

Within the Lower Mainland, the North Shore continues to have one of the lower rates of new COVID-19 infections per population. Surrey and Abbotsford in the Fraser South health region remain the COVID-19 hot spots in the region.

On the North Shore, both Capilano Care Centre in West Vancouver and Lions Gate Hospital still have outbreaks of COVID-19.

Twenty-five elderly residents of the seniors home have died, making it the most deadly local outbreak since the pandemic started.

In a letter sent to families of residents Dec. 18, the executive director of the care home wrote that 13 residents of the care centre have active cases of COVID-19 while 38 seniors have recovered from the virus. Sixty care home staff have also recovered from the virus, while three staff members are still infected and are self-isolating at home.

Vancouver Coastal Health has not released any information about the number of patients who have contracted COVID-19 at Lions Gate Hospital, where an outbreak on the fourth floor was declared over a month ago.

On Wednesday, Dr. Bonnie Henry, the province’s medical health officer, urged everyone in B.C. to keep their Christmas celebrations small as she presented data showing the province has begun to bend its epidemiological curve back down from a peak of cases in mid-November.

Rates of new infections have started to drop in both Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health, said Henry.

Henry said that shows when people comply with public health orders “those case numbers do come down. And that is incredibly important for us to recognize. But we cannot let off.”

Although hospitalization rates in the province are also levelling off, they are still at the highest level B.C. has seen all year, said Henry.

Henry said it would take very little additional social contact for the rates of infection to start dramatically climbing again.

Henry also announced some good news. Shipments of the Moderna vaccine, the second COVID-19 vaccine just approved by Health Canada, are expected to start arriving in B.C. next week.

That vaccine can be more easily transported and stored, so it will be able to be used for residents in long-term care homes and people in remote communities, said Henry.

Pfizer has also approved the transport of its vaccines to local care homes, she said.

Henry said B.C. will be concentrating on vaccinating the most vulnerable populations between now and the end of January.

B.C. expects to receive 792,000 doses of the vaccine between now and the end of March. Henry said that will allow 549,000 people to receive a first dose of the vaccine and about 240,000 people to receive two doses.