DAVID CARRIGG More from David Carrigg
Published:April 28, 2020
Henry said the outbreak at the Superior Poultry processing plant in Coquitlam has worsened, with 46 cases.
A spike in COVID-19 infections related to two chicken processing plants owned by the Pollon family was responsible for over half of the new cases reported on Tuesday.
Provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said there were now 46 cases from the Superior Poultry plant in Coquitlam, while the number at its sister United Poultry plant in Vancouver was steady.
The plants are responsible for at least 80 new cases since a mass outbreak was uncovered at the United plant on April 20 – with 39 of the 55 positive tests reported Tuesday connected to the spread of the virus from within the poultry processors. The Pollon family of Abbotsford also own the Hallmark Poultry plant in the Downtown Eastside that has not been impacted by the outbreaks.
Workers transferring between the two facilities spread the disease.
“The majority of our cases today come from the ongoing investigations in two poultry producing plants,” Henry said.
The largest community outbreak in B.C. is within the Mission Institution federal prison, that now has 120 cases (two more than Monday.)
Henry said the Mission Institution outbreak was problematic because it has been identified late.
On Monday, more than three dozen organizations from across British Columbia and Canada demanded an immediate inquest into the April 15th death of a Mission Institution inmate due to COVID-19.
Thirty-eight groups representing human rights, prisoners’ rights, health and legal interests have sent a letter to B.C.’s chief coroner and solicitor general saying an immediate inquest is in the public interest.
Henry said that two people died between noon Monday and noon Tuesday, bringing the B.C. death toll to 105.
There are now 94 people with COVID-19 in hospital, including 37 in intensive care. Of the 2,053 cases reported in B.C., 717 are active. Most of those sick people are recovering in isolation at home or in long-term care facilities.
Henry said the intensive-care fatality rate in B.C. is lower than other parts of the world. She said there have been a number of COVID-19 complications appearing, including stroke and blood clots.
Five COVID-19 cases have been reported among children under five, and 14 cases in people aged 10 to 19. Only one of those cases has ended up in hospital.
Henry said she believes restrictions will start to be lifted between the middle and end of May.
She said testing had been expanded to pick up anybody in B.C. with respiratory sickness who may have COVID-19. She said young people are less impacted by COVID-19 and that if a vaccine comes, it will not be mandatory.
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said the province is keeping up with demand for personal protective equipment.
Also on Tuesday, the Ministry of Transportation announced commercial food trucks will be able to set up at rest areas and scales used by the trucking industry.
The B.C. Trucking Association had asked government to find a way to allow truckers to get a meal on the road, after most restaurants closed.
Along with allowing food trucks, the province has also installed more than 25 portable toilets at commercial pullouts and inspection stations.
Education Minister Rob Fleming said no date has been set for a return to class for students.
He said he wanted to learn from other provinces and countries like New Zealand before starting to reopen schools. Several thousand children whose parents are essential-service workers are attending schools, and there are plans to accommodate more of them, he said.
Vancouver Coastal Health announced its Inner City COVID-19 Response Strategy to deal with potential outbreaks in the Downtown Eastside.
The Ministry of Agriculture also revealed funding would be made available for animal shelters, the B.C. SPCA and zoo to cover emergency food and medicine costs.
Canada has 50,016 known cases of COVID-19.
More than 2,800 of those cases have been fatal.
The world has now seen more than three million cases of COVID-19 since it appeared at the start of the year, with about 215,000 related deaths.
With files from Canadian Press
— With files from The Canadian Press
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