COVID-19 update for Dec. 17: Mom who had baby in coma wakes up, large outbreak at Surrey plant

-The Canadian Press

12 a.m. – Fraser Health closes Surrey food processing plant following COVID-19 outbreak

An outbreak of COVID-19 among staff at Wingtat Game Bird Packers Inc. in Surrey has caused Fraser Health to close the poultry processing plant.

A mass testing of the facility’s employees has begun and 30 employees have tested positive so far.

All employees have been screened, and case and contact management is ongoing. Those identified as cases and close contacts have been told to self-isolate.

The poultry plant is located at 9752 186 Street.

12 a.m. – Health officials announce 640 new cases, 24 additional deaths

Another 640 British Columbians have tested positive for COVID-19, B.C. health officials said on Wednesday.

With the update, total cases in B.C. rise to 44,103. Total deaths rose to 692 with an additional 24 deaths in the past 24 hours.

The joint statement also revealed that 409 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were given to B.C. front-line health-care workers on Tuesday, and vaccine deliveries will begin next week for clinics in every health region in the province.

LOCAL RESOURCES for COVID-19 information

Here are a number of information and landing pages for COVID-19 from various health and government agencies.

• B.C. COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool

• Vancouver Coastal Health – Information on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

• HealthLink B.C. – Coronavirus (COVID-19) information page

• B.C. Centre for Disease Control – Novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

• Government of Canada – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak update

• World Health Organization – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak

–with files from The Canadian Press