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UPDATED: Vancouver Island seniors die in hospital due to COVID-19

Province has hit a total of 31 deaths
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B.C. has recorded six new deaths due to COVID-19, Dr. Bonnie Henry said Thursday.

The provincial health officer said three of those deaths were at a Vancouver Coastal Health care home, one was in Fraser Health and two were on Vancouver Island.

The two deaths on Vancouver Island are the first COVID-19 related ones in the Island Health region. The B.C. Ministry of Health says one patient was in their 80s and the other was in their 90s. Both patients died in hospital. The Ministry was unable to provide any more information about the deaths on Thursday afternoon.

“It is with deepest condolences Island Health can confirm the deaths of two Island Health residents due to COVID-19,” said Island Health president and chief official Kathy MacNeil. “While this is not unexpected in this pandemic, it does nothing to mitigate the grief families and friends are feeling today, nor the sense of loss Island Health care providers experience when someone in our care passes away.

MacNeil said Island Health will not comment in further detail at this time out of respect for the privacy of the deceased and their families.

READ ALSO: B.C. health officer says homemade masks may prevent spread of COVID-19 to others

Henry said the province has also seen its first community outbreak at a prison, the Okanagan Correctional Centre. That outbreak was “something we were concerned about and planning for,” she said.

There were 55 new cases across the province, Henry said, leading the total number of cases to 1,121. Of those total cases, 641 have recovered – a rate of 57 per cent. The province now stands at 31 deaths and 449 active cases.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said he was enthused by the federal government’s orders of personal protective equipment. He said B.C. is making a “significant effort” to secure its own, as well.

B.C.’s total cases, by health authority are 525 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 386 in Fraser Health, 72 in Island Health, 121 in Interior Health and 17 in Northern Health.

B.C.’s deaths, by health authority are 24 in Vancouver Coastal Health, seven in Fraser Health and two on Vancouver Island.

@katslepian

katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

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