Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reported 738 new cases of COVID-19 in B.C. on Wednesday, 21 of which are in Island Health. (BC Government)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

DAILY BRIEFING

Island Health sees 21 new COVID-19 cases as province touts more rapid testing

Nov 25, 2020 | 3:35 PM

NANAIMO — A new high for COVID-19 cases in a single day for Vancouver Island and the surrounding region.

Island Health reported 21 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the regional total to 526. Throughout the province, 738 new cases were confirmed.

Data on the number of active cases in Island Health is expected later on Wednesday. A total of 173 cases are currently active within the authority, with all but three recovering at home.

Across B.C., 7,716 cases are considered active with 294 people in hospital, 61 of whom are receiving critical or intensive care.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry spoke on new testing strategies coming available, with rapid testing adding to public health’s arsenal in detecting the virus.

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“Particularly in some of the more remote communities in the province where if somebody is symptomatic and we need to rapidly determine if it’s COVID or influenza…that’s where these tests right now are best suited to support what we need to do.”

British Columbia’s testing rate currently sits at 145,017 per 1,000,000 people, slightly above the Canadian rate of 115,827.

The province conducted just over 11,000 new tests between Monday, Nov. 23 and Tuesday with 1,194 in the Island Health region.

Dr. Henry also spoke on new restrictions on mandatory masks for all indoor public spaces. She noted there had been some backlash, however the mask issue to her was about respect for others.

“I have no time for people who are belligerent and are trying to make some sort of a statement about anti-vax…I have no time for people who believe that wearing a mask somehow makes them ill or is a sign of lack of freedom.”

The province also reported a slew of data corrections for daily case counts between Nov. 16 to 24.

Data corrections were limited to the Fraser Health authority and saw both fewer or more cases reported on any given day.

After the province reported 941 cases on Tuesday, the data correction adjusted the actual number to 706.

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