Mission has had 158 residents diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic first hit. The figure is predominantly due to the large outbreak at the federal prison, according to new data released by the province Thursday.
The Mission medium-security federal prison had one of B.C.’s worst outbreaks and was the site of one of the largest prison outbreaks in Canada. More than 120 prisoners and more than a dozen guards were diagnosed with the virus. At least two prisoners died from COVID-19 complications.
The outbreak was declared over at the end of May.
In comparison, more than 450 Abbotsford residents have been diagnosed, making that city one of the most-affected communities in B.C.,
For the first time, the province reduced case figures by municipality.
It shows that Abbotsford has been the third-hardest-hit city in all of British Columbia, with 454 cases diagnosed between January and July. Only Surrey and Vancouver, which have had more than 500 cases, have seen more residents test positive for COVID-19.
But both of those cities have far more people than Abbotsford and lower per-capita rates of infection. The figures, notably, don’t include cases reported in August, when B.C. has seen a new spike in positive tests.
Among other nearby municipalities, 138 cases were detected in Langley and 30 in Chilliwack.
By August 27, more than 5,000 people in British Columbia had been diagnosed with COVID-19.
RELATED: B.C. reports 68 new COVID-19 cases, one death as it releases city-level data
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