Today marked a milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic for British Columbia.

Vaccinations commenced today—with healthcare workers being the first to receive them—and the first person in the province to receive a vaccine was residential care aide Nisha Yunus in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry was in attendance.

The first person in Fraser Health to be immunized was healthcare assistant Linda Latour.

"Among the very first people to receive it are those who care for and support B.C.'s seniors—by getting immunized, they are helping to protect those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and helping us all get one step closer to ending this pandemic,” B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a news release.

While the first vaccines were delivered in Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health, vaccines will be delivered to all regional health authorities next week.

Meanwhile, the number of new cases today is lower than the last few days, which have hovered around 700 per days. In addition, case numbers decreased in some categories.

Unfortunately, the number of deaths is high.

There is one new healthcare outbreak; one community outbreak; one community cluster, involving 60 cases; and three stores, eight flights, and 45 schools with new exposure events.

B.C. update: December 15

Henry and Dix announced, in a joint statement, that there are 522 new cases of COVID-19 (including eight epi-linked cases) in B.C. today.

By region, that includes:

• 338 new cases in Fraser Health;
• 84 in Vancouver Coastal Health;
• 56 in Interior Health;
• 37 in Northern Health;
• seven in Island Health;
• no one from outside Canada.

The number of active cases declined by 179 people since yesterday to 9,860 active cases today.

At the moment, there are 361 individuals are in hospital (two more people since yesterday), with 93 of those patients in intensive care units (six more people since yesterday).

The number of people public health is monitoring (due to exposure to confirmed cases) has decreased by 409 people since yesterday to 10,768 people today.

Since yesterday, 659 people recovered, bringing the cumulative total to 31,866 people who have now recovered.

Tragically, there have been 21 new COVID-19-related deaths. The total number of fatalities during the pandemic is now stands at 668 people who have died.

During the pandemic, B.C. has recorded a total of 43,463 cases in British Columbia, which includes:

• 27,679 in Fraser Health;
• 10,620 in Vancouver Coastal Health;
• 2,907 in Interior Health;
• 1,368 in Northern Health;
• 794 in Island Health;
• 95 people from outside Canada.

Outbreaks and exposures

Fraser Health has declared a new healthcare outbreak at Burnaby Hospital, where three patients in a medicine unit tested positive. The unit is closed to admissions but the emergency department remains open. This follows only a few days after an outbreak (declared on November 9 but complicated by a fire) was declared over at the hospital on December 11.

Meanwhile, Fraser Health declared the outbreak at Langley Memorial Hospital’s longterm care facility over on December 14.

One new community outbreak is at the Teck Resources Elkview and Fording River coal operations and construction project in the Elk Valley near Sparwood, B.C. The company stated that 25 cases have been confirmed as of today.

Interior Health announced today that 60 confirmed cases are involved in a community cluster developed at Big White Ski Resort in Kelowna.

“Large households and social gatherings appear to be responsible for much of the COVID-19 transmission related to this cluster,” the Interior Health information bulletin states, adding that most of the cases are “from transmission related to shared housing”.

Henry had said at yesterday’s briefing that gatherings and groups have been an ongoing problem in the B.C. Interior.

None of the five regional health authorities listed any new public exposure events.

Stores and flights

Loblaw reported three of its stores had staff members who tested positive.

One employee who tested positive last worked on December 10 at Peter's Your Independent Grocer (1835 Gordon Drive) in Kelowna.

The other two stores were Shoppers Drug Mart locations:

• an employee who tested positive last worked on on December 6 at the 6508 East Hastings Street location in Burnaby;
• an employee who tested positive last worked on December 13 at the 225 St. Laurent Avenue location in Quesnel.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) has added the following eight flights confirmed with COVID-19 to its lists:

• December 7: North Cariboo Air 1545, Terrace to Vancouver;
• December 8: Air Canada 124, Vancouver to Toronto;
• December 8: Air Canada 251, Edmonton to Vancouver;
• December 8: Air Canada/Jazz 8081, Vancouver to Victoria;
• December 8: Air Canada/Jazz 8195, Kamloops to Vancouver;
• December 10: Air Canada 855, London to Vancouver;
• December 10: WestJet 129, Calgary to Vancouver;
• December 11: Cathay Pacific 837, Vancouver to Hong Kong.

Affected row information is available at the BCCDC website.

School exposures

School outbreaks at Cambridge Elementary and Newton Elementary, both in Surrey, have been declared over.

Meanwhile, four regional health authorities had a total of 45 schools with new exposure dates. Yet again, Fraser Health, and Surrey, had the most schools. 

Once again, Island Health didn’t have any schools with new exposure dates.

Northern Health had six schools with new exposure dates.

In Fort Nelson, Fort Nelson Secondary (5419 Simpson Trail), which previously had an exposure event from October 15 to 16, had a new exposure on December 7.

In Fort St. John, two schools had new dates:

• École Central Elementary (10215 99th Avenue), which previously had an exposure on December 4, added December 2 to 3;
• Nak’albun Elementary School (1180 Lakeshore Drive)—which had previous exposure dates from September 16 to 18; and from November 22 to 25—added December 3 to 4.

In Prince George, two schools had new dates:

• Heather Park Elementary School (7151 Heather Park Road), which previously had an exposure event from December 1 to 2, had new exposures on December 4 and 7 to 8;
• Westwood Elementary (2633 Vanier Drive) had an exposure on December 8.

In Terrace, Suwilaawks Community School (3430 Sparks Street)—which previously had exposures on November 27 and 30; and from December 3 to 4—had an overlapping exposure event from November 30 to December 2.

In contrast to previous days, Interior Health had only two schools in Kelowna with new exposure dates:

• École Élémentaire Casorso Elementary School (3675 Casorso Road)—which previously had exposures from November 5 to 6; from November 9 to 10; on November 12; from November 26 to 27; from December 3 to 4—added December 7;
• Raymer Elementary School (657 Raymer Avenue) had an exposure on December 8.

Vancouver Coastal Health only had two schools in Vancouver with new dates:

• Sir Sandford Fleming Elementary (6363 Lanark Street), which had previous exposures from December 7 to 8, added December 9;
• Vancouver Technical Secondary (2600 East Broadway)—which had previous exposures on September 21; and November 12 to 13 and 16 to 20—added December 8 to 9.

Fraser Health

Fraser Health had 35 schools with new exposure dates.

Abbotsford had six schools that added new dates:

• Abbotsford Traditional Middle (2272 Windsor Street) had exposures from December 3 to 4 and 7 to 8;
• Chief Dan George Middle School (32877 Old Riverside Road)—which previously had exposures on November 12; on November 27; and from November 30 to December 3—added December 7 to 8;
• Colleen and Gordie Howe Middle (3174 Clearbrook Road) had exposures from December 8 to 9;
• Robert Bateman Secondary (35045 Exbury Avenue) had an exposure on December 9;
• Yale Secondary (34620 Old Yale Road), which previously had an exposure from November 30 to December 1, added December 8 to 9;
• Abbotsford Dasmesh Punjabi (5930 Riverside Street)—which previously had an exposure event from October 20 to 21; from November 17 to 19; from November 19 to 20 and 23 to 27; on November 30; and from December 1 to 4—added December 7 to 9.

Three schools in Burnaby added new dates:

• École Alpha Secondary (4600 Parker Street)—which previously had exposures from September 29 to October 2; from October 13 to 14; and on October 20—added December 7 to 8 as an exposure date;
• Burnaby North Secondary (751 Hammarskjold Drive)—which previously had exposures on from October 8 to 9; from October 14 to 15; from October 28 to 30; from November 2 to 3; from November 9 to 10 and 12 to 13; from November 25 to 26; and on December 4—added December 3;
• Byrne Creek Secondary (7777 18th Street)—which previously had exposures on October 26; on November 18, 20, and from 26 to 27; and on November 30 and December 1 and 4—added December 7 to 9.

In Port Coquitlam, two schools had new dates:

• British Columbia Christian Academy (1019 Fernwood Avenue) had exposures from December 8 to 10;
• Terry Fox Secondary (1260 Riverwood Gate)—which previously had exposures from October 26 to 29; on November 4; and from November 12 to 13—added December 8 to 11.

Chilliwack had four schools with new dates:

• Mount Slesse Middle School (5871 Tyson Road), which previously had exposures from November 23 to 24, added December 4;
• Sardis Elementary (45775 Manuel Road)—which previously had an exposure on November 20; from 24 to 25; and from November 30 to December 2—added December 8 to 9;
• Vedder Middle (45560 South Sumas Road), which previously had exposures from October 26 to 30; and from November 30 to December 2—added December 7 to 8 as exposure dates;
• Unity Christian (50950 Hack Brown Road)—which had previous exposures on October 20 to 22; from October 26 to 29; on November 20; and on December 4, 7, and 8—added December 9.

In Langley, R.E. Mountain Secondary (7633 202a Street)—which previously had exposures from November 2 to 4; on November 9; from November 10 to 13; on November 19, 20, 24, and 25; and on November 26—added December 7 to 9.

In New Westminster, Glenbrook Middle School (701 Park Crescent)—which previously had an exposure on November 27; and from November 30 to December 3—added December 7.

Surrey had 18 schools with new exposures:

• Colebrook Elementary (5404 125a Street)—which previously had exposures from November 17 to 19; on November 30; from December 2 to 3; and on December 4—added December 9 to 10;
• Cougar Creek Elementary (12236 70a Avenue)—which previously had exposures from November 26 to 27; and on November 30—added December 1 to 3;
• Creekside Elementary (13838 91st Avenue)—which previously had exposures from November 3 to 5; and from November 23 to 25—added December 7;
• Earl Marriott Secondary (15751 16th Avenue)—which previously had exposures on September 17, 18, 21, and 23; from November 2 to 4; and from November 3 to 5—added December 7, 10 and 11 as new exposures;
• Enver Creek Secondary (14505 84th Avenue)—which previously had exposures on October 9, 14, and 26; from November 3 to 5, 9, and 16; on November 24, 26, 27, and 30; on December 1 to 3—added December 7;
• Fleetwood Park Secondary (7940 156th Street)—which previously had exposure incidents on October 1; from November 18 to 20; from November 30 to December 2; and from December 3 to 4—added December 7;
• Guildford Park Secondary (10707 146th Street) in North Surrey—which previously had exposures on November 5; from November 30 to December 1; and from December 2 to 4—added December 7 to 9;
• Holly Elementary (4625 62nd Street)—which previously had an exposure on November 4, and from November 10 to 12; from November 16 to 20; and from November 30 to December 1—added December 7 to 8;
• Johnston Heights Secondary (15350 99 Avenue)—which previously had exposure event from September 8 to 11; on October 19; from November 9 to 12; on November 13; from November 16 to 20; from November 23 to 25; and on December 10—added December 3 to 4 and 7 to 9;
• École K.B. Woodward (13130 106 Avenue)—which had previous exposure incidents on September 18 and 21 to 23; and on November 30—added December 12;
• Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary (6151 180th Street)—which previously had exposures from September 14 to 15; on November 10 and 12; from November 16 to 17; from November 18 to 19; on November 20; from November 23 to 24; and on November 30 and December 1—added December 2 to 4 and 7 to 9;
• École Panorama Ridge Secondary (13220 64th Avenue)—which previously had exposures on September 8 and 10; from September 30 to October 1; from October 6 to 9 and 13 to 15; from October 19 to 20; on November 3, 4, and 5; on November 16; from November 17 to 19; on November 20 and 23; from November 24 to 27 and 30; from December 1 to 2; from December 3 to 4—added December 9 to 10;
• Princess Margaret Secondary (12870 72nd Avenue)—which previously had exposures on September 11; on October 12, 15, and 16; on October 26 and 29; from November 2 to 5; on November 24, 26, 27, and 30; from December 1 to 4; and on December 7—added December 8;
• Queen Elizabeth Secondary School (9457 King George Boulevard)—which previously had exposures on September 14; from October 14 to 16; from October 19, 21, and 22; from October 29 to 30; from November 3 to 5; on November 6, 9, 10; on November 12, 13, and 16; from November 18 to 20; from November 23 to 27; on November 30; and from December 3 to 4—added December 7 to 10;
• Surrey Centre Elementary (16670 Old McLellan Road)—which previously had an exposure on October 22, added exposures from November 25 to 27; from November 30 to December 1—added December 7;
• Surrey Traditional School (13875 113rd Avenue)—which had previous exposures on November 18; from November 26 to 27 and November 30 to December 3—added December 7 to 10;
• Tamanawis Secondary School (12600 66th Avenue)—which previously had incidents on September 17 and 30; October 2 and 6; from October 13 to 16; on October 19; from October 26 to 28; from November 3 to 5; on November 12, 13, 16, 17; from 19 to 20; from November 24 to 27 and 30; and on December 2—added December 7 to 10;
• Pacific Academy (10238 168th Street)—which had previous exposures on November 9; from November 12 to 13; from 17 to 20; from November 23 to 25 and 30; on November 26; and on December 3—added December 7.