Four more COVID-19 deaths at Langley care home, max still 50 vehicles for outdoor events

Summary

All four COVID-19 deaths in B.C. over the past 48 hours were at Langley Lodge

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry expects to provide new data next week on the reopening period

But she doesn't expect to lift the provincial order banning gatherings of 50 people or more. 

VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) — All four COVID-19 deaths in B.C. over the past 48 hours were at a Langley care home experiencing a second outbreak.

In the meantime, on Monday, the province clarified its order banning more than 50 vehicles at outdoor events.

The four deaths happened at the Langley Lodge, bringing the total in B.C. to 161. Another 12 new cases were reported since the weekend, for 2,530 overall.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, meanwhile, expects to provide new data next week on B.C.’s reopening period, but doesn’t anticipate lifting the provincial order banning gatherings of 50 people or more.

On Friday, Henry amended the order to include a limit of no more than 50 vehicles at drive-ins and other outdoor events, including the Twilight Drive-In Theatre in Aldergrove, which has remained open during the pandemic.

“It does apply to 50 vehicles. It applies to places like drive-ins,” she said Monday. “There were a number of events, we know, that were being planned. Some of them were going to be quite large. And this is what we need to do right now. This is not forever, but it is for this phase. We need to be consistent, and we’ve been using 50 as our number, and, as I’ve said before, there’s no real science behind it. But it is a rational approach that we want to be consistent across all of our venues when we’re talking about gatherings and events.”

Henry understands the restriction poses a problem for some businesses, and suggested possibly by summer the order could be altered.

“Maybe we will be at a point, come the summer, we’ll be able to expand that. But I can’t predict that at this moment,” she added.

“For the next little while, we’re sticking with what we know about mass gatherings and about the risks that they present.”

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said the purpose of the 50-person limit on gatherings has always been about physical distancing and limiting transmission of the virus.

Dix and Henry also responded to reports of people on either side of the Canada-U.S. border exposing a loophole in restrictions by meeting in Peace Arch Park.

Henry continues to lobby to have some ability for family reunification for people who are across the borders and have relationships on either side.

Dix reiterated that current restrictions on non-essential travel across the border have been extended until June,.

“As I’ve said before, my expectation is that will continue,” he said.

“The fundamental question remains, which is the need to ensure that we don’t have transmission in B.C., and that’s why I don’t see the border opening for visitors anytime soon.”

Dix also said the care home deaths illustrate why strong measures governing them were instituted in B.C., including single-site rules for workers.

Langley Lodge says on its website that 20 residents have now died in the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak at the seniors care home as of Monday.

There were two new cases, four active cases among residents, and 19 recoveries among the residents, according to the lodge.

In addition, there have been nine cases among staff members, including two Fraser Health workers sent into the facility to help.

There have been more than 50 cases total linked to Langley Lodge.

No new outbreaks were reported Monday, while those remain active at 16 care homes or acute care facilities. B.C. has 267 active cases, with 37 people in hospital, including seven in intensive care.

The recovery rate for COVID-19 in B.C. increased slightly to 83 per cent.