B.C.'s provincial health officer Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix warned people to avoid close contact with their mothers on Mother's Day even though they say that they believe B.C. has flattened the curve of new infections and hospitalizations of COVID-19.
"For now, avoid any close physical contact, unless your mother is in your immediate household," they said in a statement on May 8. "And if your mother is older, awaiting surgery or has an underlying illness, celebrate at a safe distance. Give your mother the gift of staying safe and healthy."
While the two added that "we have flattened our curve," they explained that the advice is because it is important that the curve stay flattened.
The province's latest numbers show that the BC Centre for Disease Control identified 29 new cases in the past 24 hours, for a total of 2,315 province-wide. One new death was recorded, for a total of 127 people dying since the virus that has caused a global pandemic first appeared in the province in January.
The recovery rate keeps rising, and is now at more than 62.2%, or 1,579 people. There are 73 people in hospital, with 20 of those in intensive care. The other infected people are at home in self-isolation.
There were no new outbreaks at seniors' living or acute-care facilities. So far, there have been outbreaks at 39 of those facilities, including 21 where active outbreaks remain, and 18, where the outbreaks have been declared officially over.
Many of the cases are related to community outbreaks.
Three active outbreaks persist at poultry-processing facilities, and five new cases of COVID-19 were identified at Coquitlam's Superior Poultry, where there are a total of 61 cases. Seven cases remain at Chilliwack’s Fraser Valley Specialty while 35 cases are related to Vancouver’s United Poultry.
Another 134 people have tested positive in connection with the federal medium-security Mission Institution, either as inmates or workers.
One new B.C. worker has tested positive for the virus in connection with the outbreak at Alberta's Kearl Lake oilsands work camp. A total of 17 people in B.C. have so far tested positive in relation to that outbreak.
The breakdown of cases so far by health region are:
• 866 in Vancouver Coastal Health;
• 1,089 in Fraser Health;
• 125 in Island Health;
• 180 in Interior Health; and
• 55 in Northern Health.
The B.C. government said that the number of cases in Island Health is below a previosly announced total because of a data error.
