COVID-19 situation serious in Fraser Health region, B.C.’s hotspot amid rising case numbers

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – The Fraser Health region remains the hotspot in B.C. as the province continues to see a worrying spike in COVID-19 cases. The situation has become such a concern that Dr. Bonnie Henry is making a point of providing her now twice-weekly update from Surrey Thursday afternoon.

On Wednesday, the provincial case count showed that of the new 287 cases across B.C., the Fraser Health region accounts for 67 per cent.

To deal with the worsening situation in the Fraser Health region, which includes Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surrey, Delta, New Westminster, Maple Ridge, Langley, Mission, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and east to Hope, frontline health-care workers are being moved around to deal with patients.

Watch: Fraser Health sees surge in COVID-19 cases

The ongoing rise in COVID-19 cases has also led to flu clinics being delayed, as staffing and resources are needed to help deal with the pandemic first.

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• Fraser Health flu shot appointments postponed due to COVID-19

• BCCDC: Risk low for kids if vaccination appointments delayed in Fraser Health region

COVID-19 was once believed to only significantly impact the elderly, however, data continues to show that is no longer the case.

When it comes to who is getting sick in the Fraser Health region, it appears of the 7,863 cases that have been discovered there since the pandemic first started, more than half of those who got sick were between the ages of 20 and 40 years old.

Of 7,863 ppl discovered with COVID-19 in the Fraser Valley, since the beginning of the pandemic, 59 % are between the ages of 20 and 40. The province's hotspot will be the site of @DrBonnieHenry update this afternoon as she continues to plead for parties and gatherings to stop pic.twitter.com/cRd7fCv4PI

— Ash Kelly she/her (settler) (@AshDKelly) October 29, 2020

Many young people have even been added to a long list of ‘long-haulers’ — people who described struggling with severe symptoms several months after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

The surge in COVID-19 cases in the Fraser Health region has been mainly fuelled by private parties and gatherings, the health authority said earlier this month.

Read more: Young COVID-19 long-haulers: Stuck in no man’s land

In an effort to deal with the rising number of cases in the area, Henry announced new restrictions this week, limiting the number of people allowed to gather in private homes to the immediate household, plus a “safe six.”

With the weekend and Halloween approaching, the province said the focus on enforcement would be on the Fraser region.