British Columbia reported 28 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, the highest single-day total since May 8.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry delivered the update in an unexpected live briefing Friday, that offered new insight into outbreaks at the Site C Dam and St. Paul’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Babies, parents, families and health care workers were exposed in the incident, and have now been isolated and are being monitored.
Henry said one infant has tested positive for the coronavirus, but is not showing symptoms.
“Contact tracing is ongoing to understand how the virus was introduced into people in the NICU, and Vancouver Coastal Health is investigating with St. Paul’s and the staff there to ensure we have identified everybody,” said Henry.
Henry said the exposure was possible because B.C. had a policy allowing parents to visit their own newborn in the NICU without wearing a mask.
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Most NICUs are smaller rooms, she said.
“This one is more of an open intensive care unit, although the bassinets were at least six feet apart, there were no barriers between them,” said Henry.
“So that meant there was potential for people who were in the NICU to be exposed.”
Vancouver Coastal Health has also issued an exposure alert for the Sandman Suites Hotel on Davie Street between July 7 and July 16.
The number of cases linked to the Krazy Cherry farm near Oliver has climbed to four: two temporary foreign workers, and two members of the family that own the farm.
The number of cases now linked to exposures at private parties in Kelowna several weeks ago has climbed to 35.
“We anticipate there will be more cases in the coming days, as people who were exposed are now starting to develop symptoms,” said Henry.
Anyone who may have been exposed is being told to monitor for symptoms and limit their contacts with others.
Henry used the Kelowna exposures to speak directly to young people, warning them that while they may face milder symptoms with COVID-19, they’re just as capable of passing it to others.
Henry also said the Site C case, which involves a worker from Alberta, showed that the province’s protocols are working.
“I think it’s important to recognize that this person had very limited contacts after their recent return to the camp, and immediately identified when they were notified that they had a positive test,” she said.
“They have had no contact with any of the communities in that area.”
A small number of the workers’ close contacts have been identified and are isolating, Henry said.
B.C. reported no new deaths on Friday, but active cases in the province rose to 207.
In total, B.C. has recorded 3,198 cases of the virus, 17 of them epi-linked. Of those, 2,802 have recovered.
Eighteen people are in hospital with COVID-19, just two of them in critical care.
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