A third person has died in connection with a COVID-19 outbreak at Saanich Peninsula Hospital, Island Health says.
The health authority did not provide any details on the person, citing privacy concerns.
Island Health president and CEO Kathy MacNeil offered her condolences to the family and friends of the person who died.
“To the Island Health team members who cared for this person, thank you,” she said. I am grateful to you for the compassionate care you have provided.”
The outbreak was declared on Dec. 1. Twenty people at the hospital — 10 staff members and 10 patients — have tested positive for the virus, according to Island Health, which says the outbreak has been limited to the acute care areas of the hospital.
The death brings the number of deaths linked to COVID-19 on the Island to nine.
Health officials reported 673 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in B.C. on Thursday, including four in Island Health, and 21 additional deaths.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is advising people with chronic health conditions to contact their family doctor to determine whether they should get vaccinated for COVID-19.
She said the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was tested primarily on healthy people of varying ages and it’s not known if it will work or is safe for those with chronic liver or kidney diseases, for example.
Clinical trials of the Moderna vaccine, which is expected to be the next one to be approved in Canada, also excluded people who are immunocompromised.
Henry said 1,215 health-care workers have been vaccinated so far with the limited number of vaccine doses available and about 380,000 people are expected to be immunized in the province by March.
The vaccine will be a “game-changer” for residents of long-term care homes, who have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic, she said, but for now it’s important for everyone to keep their gatherings small heading into Christmas.
“If we get through this period, we can protect residents in long-term care and we can start allowing people to safely come back into those communities again and be with their loved ones.”
Henry urged people to look ahead to better days when more vaccine doses will be available for widespread immunization.
“We may be days away from the solstice and the darkness and the longest night of the year, but without a doubt we have light ahead and we can’t let all that sacrifice that we have done together in this past year be all for naught.”
Henry also announced an outbreak at the LNG Canada project site in Kitimat.
A statement from Northern Health said 15 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. It said all 40 of the people at the site have been tested and those who are infected or were in close contact have been instructed to self-isolate.
There have also been two outbreaks at poultry processing plants in the Fraser Health region.
The authority said nine staff are positive for COVID at Rossdown Natural Foods Ltd. in Abbotsford, while 30 employees at the Wingtat Game Bird Packers Inc. processing plant in Surrey also tested positive.
