COVID-19 claims data
The following tables show the cumulative number of claims submitted to WorkSafeBC related to a COVID-19 exposure since the beginning of the pandemic. The tables show a point-in–time status of claims as they make their way through the adjudicative process. Please note that WorkSafeBC claims data may differ from COVID-19 data published by the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA). The numbers reported here represent claims submitted by workers for COVID-19 contracted through a work-related exposure, compared with the PHSA's COVID-19 data for the general population.
The data reflects claims registered to November 30, 2024, with claim eligibility decisions as of November 30. These numbers will fluctuate over time, as eligibility decisions and employer information continue to be updated.
- Monthly COVID-19 claims registered — 12 months rolling
- Monthly COVID-19 claims allowed — 12 months rolling
- All COVID claims data by industry
- Timeliness to eligibility decision on COVID-19 claims
- Classification units with 5 or more claims registered for COVID-19
- Breakdown of allow and disallow decisions for occupations with both 5 or more allowed claims and 5 or more disallowed claims
Monthly COVID-19 claims registered — 12 months rolling
Monthly COVID-19 claims allowed — 12 months rolling
All COVID claims data by industry
Eligibility Decision |
|||||||
Allowed | Disallowed | No adjudication required | Pending | Rejected | Suspended | Total | |
Total | 18,425 | 2,789 | 284 | 12 | 69 | 1,626 | 23,205 |
Service - Health Care and Social Services | 11,178 | 1,058 | 98 | 4 | 14 | 648 | 13,000 |
Service - Education | 2,698 | 319 | 19 | 6 | 133 | 3,175 | |
Self-insured employers | 809 | 152 | 15 | 5 | 121 | 1,102 | |
Public Administration | 804 | 99 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 39 | 953 |
Service – Other subsectors (including business, professional and other services) | 564 | 176 | 31 | 1 | 9 | 139 | 920 |
Trade - Retail | 436 | 223 | 34 | 4 | 109 | 806 | |
Service - Tourism and Hospitality | 348 | 100 | 10 | 2 | 105 | 565 | |
Construction | 325 | 97 | 12 | 4 | 82 | 520 | |
Transportation and Related Services | 284 | 135 | 11 | 3 | 66 | 499 | |
Agriculture | 337 | 37 | 6 | 9 | 389 | ||
Unknown employer or sector | 8 | 240 | 19 | 16 | 57 | 340 | |
Manufacturing - Food and Beverage Products | 157 | 36 | 3 | 23 | 219 | ||
Manufacturing - Metal and Non-Metallic Mineral Products | 138 | 39 | 8 | 15 | 200 | ||
Manufacturing - Wood and Paper Products | 60 | 31 | 4 | 19 | 114 | ||
Trade - Wholesale | 55 | 11 | 8 | 30 | 104 | ||
Forestry | 71 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 92 | ||
Oil & Gas or Mineral Resources | 76 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 92 | |
Manufacturing - Other Products (not elsewhere specified) | 51 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 67 | ||
Manufacturing - Petroleum, Coal, Rubber, Plastic, and Chemical Products | 24 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 42 | |
Warehousing | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||
Fishing | 1 | 1 | 2 |
On July 26, 2024, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry rescinded all provincial orders related to COVID-19. As a result, WorkSafeBC is applying its claims policy to reflect the ending of the public health emergency for COVID-19. The end of the public health emergency means there is no longer a presumption that a COVID-19 infection is work-related. Claims submitted for COVID-19 contracted through a work-related exposure on or after July 26, 2024, will be adjudicated on a case-by-case basis, which is consistent with other communicable diseases.
For exposures on or after July 26, 2024, WorkSafeBC will look at details such as whether the worker has a diagnosis of COVID-19, their symptoms, and their employment activities. As the Schedule 1 presumption no longer applies to COVID-19 claims, WorkSafeBC must determine whether the evidence in the specific case shows the disease is due to the nature of the worker’s employment. Our policy provides guidance on how work causation is determined for contagious diseases where there is no presumption.
From August 20, 2020, until July 26, 2024, Schedule 1 of the Workers Compensation Act provided a presumption that communicable viral pathogens, such as COVID-19, were caused from work, unless proven otherwise. In order for the presumption to apply, the worker needed to be at a significantly higher risk of exposure than the public at large and the evidence would still have to show that the worker had contracted COVID-19, based on tests or symptom cluster.
When presumption coverage was in effect, claims were first considered under the Schedule 1 presumption and adjudicated on a case-by-case basis, considering the specific demands of the worker’s job duties. WorkSafeBC determines whether their job demands/duties would place the worker at a significantly greater risk of exposure to a source of COVID-19 than the public at large.
Up to the end of February 2022 we were reporting on an allow rate excluding exposure-only claims. In 2020 and 2021, most of the disallowed claims were “exposure only” — that is, the worker was potentially exposed, tested, and/or required to self-isolate, but didn’t actually develop the illness, as confirmed with a negative test result or absence of symptoms.
On decisions to the end of February 2022, when the exposure-only claims are excluded from the disallowed claims, the allow rate is approximately 95%.
Fewer “exposure-only” claims are being reported, likely a result of increased awareness that WorkSafeBC cannot provide coverage where the evidence does not support a conclusion that the worker developed COVID-19.
Not all claims registered receive an allow or disallow decision. Some claims are suspended when insufficient information is available, or a worker decides not to proceed with the requirements of the claims process. Suspended claims may proceed at a future point and be allowed or disallowed.
A smaller number of claims are classified as no adjudication required, or rejected. No adjudication required claims may have been filed in error or there was nothing to consider as the worker did not seek medical attention and did not miss any time from work. Rejected claims are those that do not fall within the scope of the Act: either claims from workers employed in industries not covered under the Act or claims from self-employed workers without optional protection.
Pending claims do not yet have sufficient information to make an eligibility decision. These claims could be waiting for test results or other evidence required to make a decision.
Unknown employer or sector means that the employer has not yet been identified or the employer and/or the specific claim have not yet been assigned to an industry classification unit and sector.
Occupation coding may be updated when additional information is available on the claim file. Not all disallowed claims have sufficient information on the claim to code the occupation of the worker; particularly when there is a negative test result and occupational information is not required to make the eligibility decision.
Timeliness to eligibility decision on COVID-19 claims
On average, the number of days to a disallow decision is longer than for allow decisions. The reason for the additional time is that Board officers will generally wait at least 14 days from the last potential exposure before disallowing a claim, in the event symptoms present themselves later in the incubation period.
Classification units with 5 or more claims registered for COVID-19
Subsectors are further broken down into classification units. The data table above is presented at the industry sector or subsector level and the table below provides additional information for COVID-19 claims registered by classification unit.
Industry classification unit |
Industry subsector | Claims registered |
---|---|---|
Long-Term Care | Health Care and Social Services | 6,244 |
Acute Care | Health Care and Social Services | 4,105 |
Public School District | Education | 3,118 |
Community Health Support Services | Health Care and Social Services | 958 |
Local Government and Related Operations | Public Administration | 823 |
Residential Social Service Facility | Health Care and Social Services | 682 |
Supermarket | Retail | 474 |
Retirement Home or Seniors' Home (accommodation only) | Health Care and Social Services | 291 |
Counselling or Social Services (not elsewhere specified) | Health Care and Social Services | 241 |
Commercial Cleaning or Janitorial Services | Other Services (not elsewhere specified) | 205 |
General Retail (not elsewhere specified) | Retail | 191 |
Restaurant or Other Dining Establishment | Tourism and Hospitality | 183 |
Daycare Centre, Preschool, or Playschool | Other Services (not elsewhere specified) | 152 |
Vegetable Greenhouse | Agriculture | 123 |
Poultry Processing | Food and Beverage Products | 122 |
Pre-hospital Emergency Health Care | Health Care and Social Services | 121 |
Law Enforcement | Public Administration | 116 |
White Mushroom Farming | Agriculture | 104 |
Commercial Marine Vessel Manufacture, Service, or Repair | Metal and Non-Metallic Mineral Products | 103 |
Commercial Bus, Shuttle Operations, or Public Transit (not elsewhere specified) | Transportation and Related Services | 103 |
Earth and Rock Filled Structure Construction | Road Construction or Maintenance | 91 |
Overnight and Short-term Accommodation (not elsewhere specified) | Tourism and Hospitality | 87 |
Courier or Local Delivery Services (not elsewhere specified) | Transportation and Related Services | 85 |
Tree Planting or Cone Picking | Forestry | 80 |
Life and Job Skills Training | Health Care and Social Services | 65 |
Fruit or Vegetable Packing or Packaging | Other Services (not elsewhere specified) | 63 |
Industrial, Commercial, Institutional or Highrise Residential General Contracting or Construction | General Construction | 61 |
Physiotherapy or Occupational Therapy | Health Care and Social Services | 57 |
Large Retail Store (not elsewhere specified) | Retail | 57 |
Physician Professional Services | Health Care and Social Services | 56 |
General Trucking (not elsewhere specified) | Transportation and Related Services | 55 |
Security or Patrol Services | Other Services (not elsewhere specified) | 54 |
Alcohol or Drug Treatment Centre | Health Care and Social Services | 52 |
Oil or Gas Pipeline Construction or Repair | General Construction | 51 |
Ferry Service | Transportation and Related Services | 49 |
Outdoor Sport Tour | Tourism and Hospitality | 47 |
Plumbing, Heating, Vent, Residential Air Conditioning, or Central Vacuum System Installation or Repair | General Construction | 43 |
Industrial Camp Operations | Tourism and Hospitality | 43 |
Motion Picture, Commercial, or Television Production | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 42 |
Coffee Shops, Ice Cream Parlours, or Other Food Concessions (not elsewhere specified) | Tourism and Hospitality | 41 |
Electric or Electronic Product or Component Manufacture (not elsewhere specified) | Other Products (not elsewhere specified) | 40 |
Open Pit Coal Mining | Oil & Gas or Mineral Resources | 39 |
Distribution Centre | Transportation and Related Services | 39 |
Ornamental Nursery or Floral Field Production | Agriculture | 38 |
Auto Dealership or Auto Sales | Other Services (not elsewhere specified) | 38 |
Auto Service or Repair | Other Services (not elsewhere specified) | 37 |
Meat Cutting, Packing, Processing, or Canning | Food and Beverage Products | 35 |
Fixed Wing Instrument Flight Rule Operation | Transportation and Related Services | 34 |
Oil or Gas Drilling | Oil & Gas or Mineral Resources | 33 |
Floral Greenhouse | Agriculture | 30 |
Poultry Farming and Related Services | Agriculture | 30 |
Building Management, Building Rental, or Mobile Home Parks and Strata Corporations | Tourism and Hospitality | 30 |
Advanced Education | Education | 29 |
Marine Container Terminal | Transportation and Related Services | 29 |
Financial Services (not elsewhere specified) | Business Services | 28 |
Catering Services (not elsewhere specified) | Tourism and Hospitality | 28 |
Heavy Equipment, Machinery, or Parts Manufacture or Installation (greater than 500 lb.) | Metal and Non-Metallic Mineral Products | 27 |
Berry Farming | Agriculture | 26 |
Supplementary Health Care | Health Care and Social Services | 26 |
Hiring or Providing Companion Services or Domestic Childcare | Other Services (not elsewhere specified) | 26 |
House or Other Wood Frame General Contracting, Construction, or Renovation Work | General Construction | 25 |
Ski Hill | Tourism and Hospitality | 25 |
Food, Beverage, or Tobacco Product Wholesale | Wholesale | 25 |
Heavy Equipment, Machinery, or Parts Sales, Rental, Service, or Repair (greater than 500 lb) (not elsewhere specified) | Other Services (not elsewhere specified) | 24 |
Excavation, or Private Landfill or Transfer Station Operation | General Construction | 22 |
Dentistry or Ancillary Dental Services | Health Care and Social Services | 22 |
Pub, Bar, Night Club, or Lounge | Tourism and Hospitality | 22 |
Food Product Manufacture (not elsewhere specified) | Food and Beverage Products | 21 |
Specialized Public Transit Services | Transportation and Related Services | 21 |
Orchard | Agriculture | 20 |
Call Centre, Telemarketing, or Market Research | Business Services | 20 |
Independent or Private Primary or Secondary School | Education | 20 |
Electrical Work | General Construction | 20 |
Pulp and Paper Mill | Wood and Paper Products | 20 |
Sawmill | Wood and Paper Products | 20 |
Concrete Reinforcing | General Construction | 19 |
Structural Concrete Forming | General Construction | 19 |
Wholesale (not elsewhere specified) | Wholesale | 19 |
Construction Labour Supply or General Labour Supply (not elsewhere specified) | General Construction | 18 |
Aircraft Handling or Fueling | Transportation and Related Services | 18 |
Veneer or Plywood Manufacture | Wood and Paper Products | 18 |
Short-Term Care | Health Care and Social Services | 17 |
Convenience Store, Farm Market, or Specialty Food Store | Retail | 17 |
Helicopter Visual Flight Rule Operation | Transportation and Related Services | 17 |
Insurance, Actuarial or Bonding Services | Business Services | 16 |
Welding Services or Ornamental Metal Installation | General Construction | 15 |
Religious Organization | Health Care and Social Services | 15 |
Hair Cutting, Styling or Esthetic Services | Tourism and Hospitality | 15 |
Union | Business Services | 14 |
First Nations Operations | Public Administration | 14 |
Electronic Equipment or Light Equipment, Machinery, or Parts Wholesale (less than 500 lb.) | Wholesale | 14 |
Concrete Placing, Finishing, Surfacing, or Repair | General Construction | 13 |
Laboratory Services (not elsewhere specified) | Health Care and Social Services | 13 |
Mechanized Tunnel Boring Construction | Heavy Construction | 13 |
Open Pit Metal or Mineral Mining | Oil & Gas or Mineral Resources | 13 |
Computer Software Consulting, Programming, Design, or Production | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 13 |
Gas Bar or Service Station | Retail | 13 |
Electric Utilities | Utilities | 13 |
Baked Goods Manufacture | Food and Beverage Products | 12 |
Drug, Vitamin, or Pharmaceutical Manufacture | Petroleum, Coal, Rubber, Plastic, and Chemical Products | 12 |
Consulting Engineering, Geological, Geophysical, or Geochemical Consulting, or Construction Management Consulting | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 12 |
Cardboard or Paper Container Manufacture | Wood and Paper Products | 12 |
Scaffolding, Tent, Staging, or Display Booth Rental and Installation | General Construction | 11 |
Field Work Services | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 11 |
Veterinary Hospital or Veterinary Services | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 11 |
Home Improvement Centre | Retail | 11 |
Casino or Other Gaming Operations (not elsewhere specified) | Tourism and Hospitality | 11 |
Garbage, Debris, Industrial Waste, or Recyclable Material Removal | Transportation and Related Services | 11 |
Clothing, Linen, or Other Textile Wholesale | Wholesale | 11 |
Accounting | Business Services | 10 |
Elevator or Escalator Manufacture, Installation, Service, or Repair | Metal and Non-Metallic Mineral Products | 10 |
Landscaping, Lawn or Garden Maintenance, or Weed Control | Other Services (not elsewhere specified) | 10 |
Barge, Tug, or Other Water Transport of Goods (not elsewhere specified) | Transportation and Related Services | 10 |
Electrical, Plumbing or Heating Supplies, or Packaged Building Supplies, Hardware, or Other Metal Product Wholesale | Wholesale | 10 |
Woodworking or Carpentry Shop | Wood and Paper Products | 10 |
Vegetable Farming | Agriculture | 9 |
Printing or Mailing, Addressing, or Document Copying Services | Business Services | 9 |
Fish Processing, Fish Reduction, or Fish Canning | Food and Beverage Products | 9 |
Non-Alcoholic Beverage Manufacture | Food and Beverage Products | 9 |
Alternative Health Care | Health Care and Social Services | 9 |
Ambulance or First Aid Services | Health Care and Social Services | 9 |
Manufacture, or Manufacture and Installation of Metal Products Fabricated from Structural Steel | Metal and Non-Metallic Mineral Products | 9 |
Car or Truck Rental | Retail | 9 |
Retail Bakery or Delicatessen | Retail | 9 |
Retail Butcher Shop | Retail | 9 |
Multimedia Services | Utilities | 9 |
Drug, Vitamin, Pharmaceutical, or Beauty Aid Wholesale | Wholesale | 9 |
Power Pole, Powerline, or Transmission Line Installation, Service, or Repair | General Construction | 8 |
Machine Shop | Metal and Non-Metallic Mineral Products | 8 |
Medical Supplies Wholesale or Film Distribution | Wholesale | 8 |
Fur Bearing Animal Farming | Agriculture | 7 |
Employment or Dating Agency and Related Testing | Business Services | 7 |
Drywalling or Acoustic Board Installation | General Construction | 7 |
Finishing Carpentry | General Construction | 7 |
Manufacture, or Manufacture and Installation of Vinyl Framed Windows | Other Products (not elsewhere specified) | 7 |
Commercial Laundry or Linen, Uniforms, or Diaper Supply | Other Services (not elsewhere specified) | 7 |
Custom Brokerage or Freight Forwarding (including handling of goods) | Business Services | 6 |
Law Office, Notary Public, Labour Relations, or Supplementary Legal Services | Business Services | 6 |
Forest Fire Fighting | Forestry | 6 |
Commercial Tank or Boiler Installation or Removal | General Construction | 6 |
Fire and Flood Restoration | General Construction | 6 |
Painting or Wallpapering | General Construction | 6 |
Structural Concrete Reservoir, Dam, Dyke, or Tunnel Construction or Repair (not elsewhere specified) | Heavy Construction | 6 |
Die Casting or Non-Ferrous Foundry Operations | Metal and Non-Metallic Mineral Products | 6 |
Metal Product Manufacture (not elsewhere specified) | Metal and Non-Metallic Mineral Products | 6 |
Truck Body or Trailer Manufacture | Metal and Non-Metallic Mineral Products | 6 |
Manufacture, or Manufacture and Installation of Modular or Prefabricated Buildings (not elsewhere specified) | Other Products (not elsewhere specified) | 6 |
Acid, Base, Salt, Chemical, or Dye Manufacture (not elsewhere specified) | Petroleum, Coal, Rubber, Plastic, and Chemical Products | 6 |
Highway Maintenance (routine maintenance of all aspects of a specific section of highway) | Road Construction or Maintenance | 6 |
Chartered Boat Tours | Tourism and Hospitality | 6 |
Bulk Terminal | Transportation and Related Services | 6 |
Paper Product Manufacture (not elsewhere specified) | Wood and Paper Products | 6 |
Wooden Furniture Manufacture | Wood and Paper Products | 6 |
Supplementary Education | Education | 5 |
Chiropractic Services, Chiropractic Care, or Chiropractic Practice | Health Care and Social Services | 5 |
Optometry | Health Care and Social Services | 5 |
Oil or Gas Field Servicing | Oil & Gas or Mineral Resources | 5 |
Domestic Cleaning | Other Services (not elsewhere specified) | 5 |
Auto Parts Supply | Retail | 5 |
Sports Instruction | Tourism and Hospitality | 5 |
Travel Agency or Accommodation Registry | Tourism and Hospitality | 5 |
Wooden Post or Pole Manufacture | Wood and Paper Products | 5 |
Breakdown of allow and disallow decisions for occupations with both 5 or more allowed claims and 5 or more disallowed claims
Claims are allowed when the evidence is sufficient to establish the worker has COVID-19 and the risk in the workplace was significantly higher than the ordinary exposure risk. Claims are typically disallowed because the evidence is insufficient to establish that the worker has COVID-19 disease (based on tests or symptom cluster), and/or the worker went off work strictly as preventative measure.
In order to protect privacy, only occupations with both 5 or more allowed claims and 5 or more disallowed claims are listed.
Note that occupation information is lagged and may not be current.
Occupation | COVID-19 claims Allowed | COVID-19 claims Disallowed |
---|---|---|
Total – All Occupations | 18,425 | 2,790 |
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 4,516 | 200 |
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 2,141 | 202 |
Elementary school and kindergarten teachers | 1,467 | 90 |
Licensed practical nurses | 1,409 | 57 |
Social and community service workers | 792 | 102 |
Firefighters | 617 | 52 |
Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants | 542 | 70 |
Secondary school teachers | 433 | 68 |
Light duty cleaners | 425 | 51 |
Correctional service officers | 314 | 35 |
Other assisting occupations in support of health services | 284 | 40 |
Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations | 233 | 51 |
Receptionists | 142 | 24 |
Nursery and greenhouse workers | 134 | 8 |
Pursers and flight attendants | 129 | 31 |
Early childhood educators and assistants | 124 | 16 |
Police officers (except commissioned) | 114 | 19 |
Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors | 97 | 6 |
Employment insurance, immigration, border services and revenue officers | 95 | 8 |
General farm workers | 94 | 12 |
Cashiers | 92 | 36 |
Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents | 89 | 41 |
Harvesting labourers | 87 | 13 |
Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers | 87 | 40 |
Cooks | 86 | 28 |
Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers | 80 | 16 |
Paramedical occupations | 79 | 16 |
Retail salespersons | 67 | 46 |
Material handlers | 66 | 21 |
Other customer and information services representatives | 66 | 18 |
Logging and forestry labourers | 63 | 7 |
General office support workers | 62 | 25 |
Administrative assistants | 61 | 10 |
Labourers in food, beverage and associated products processing | 60 | 13 |
Construction trades helpers and labourers | 58 | 29 |
Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists' assistants | 58 | 20 |
Food and beverage servers | 55 | 20 |
Heavy equipment operators (except crane) | 55 | 14 |
Retail and wholesale trade managers | 54 | 16 |
Electricians (except industrial and power system) | 53 | 7 |
Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors | 46 | 14 |
Managers in social, community and correctional services | 46 | 8 |
Social workers | 44 | 6 |
Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators | 41 | 18 |
Transport truck drivers | 40 | 25 |
Security guards and related security service occupations | 37 | 22 |
Managers in health care | 35 | 5 |
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics | 33 | 5 |
Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists | 33 | 8 |
Airline ticket and service agents | 29 | 10 |
Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health) | 29 | 9 |
Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers | 29 | 6 |
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 27 | 9 |
Personnel clerks | 24 | 5 |
Shippers and receivers | 24 | 14 |
Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities | 22 | 7 |
Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers | 21 | 9 |
Sheriffs and bailiffs | 21 | 23 |
Restaurant and food service managers | 20 | 7 |
Retail sales supervisors | 20 | 23 |
Administrative officers | 19 | 10 |
Medical radiation technologists | 18 | 14 |
General practitioners and family physicians | 17 | 9 |
Industrial electricians | 17 | 5 |
Food service supervisors | 16 | 5 |
Delivery and courier service drivers | 15 | 25 |
Longshore workers | 14 | 11 |
Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters | 13 | 6 |
Facility operation and maintenance managers | 10 | 5 |
Financial auditors and accountants | 10 | 5 |
Public works and maintenance labourers | 9 | 5 |
Residential and commercial installers and servicers | 8 | 6 |
Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews | 6 | 5 |
Specialized cleaners | 5 | 7 |