There are now 3,500 cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in B.C. after health officials announced 81 new cases Monday.
There were 36 new cases from Friday to Saturday, 21 from Saturday to Sunday and 24 from Sunday to Monday.
Seven of these new cases are epidemiologically linked.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reports that there are 1,064 cases in Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), 1,800 in Fraser Health, 143 on Vancouver Island, 353 in Interior Health and 80 in Northern Health.
Additionally, there have been 60 cases of COVID-19 in B.C. of people who reside outside of Canada.
There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. In total, one long-term care or assisted-living facility and two acute-care facilities have active outbreaks.
There is a new community outbreak at the Fraser Valley Packers plant, which is a blueberry farm in Abbotsford. There are 15 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 to date and an investigation is ongoing.
There are now 14 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 to date in outbreak on Haida Gwaii. At this time cases are all local residents. While the initial source of transmission is still being investigated, the cases are all epidemiologically linked. Some are related residents who had recently travelled off island, and others are from exposure to known cases.
There have been two new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 193 fatalities in the province.
Of the total COVID-19 cases, 11 individuals are hospitalized, three of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation.
There are 264 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 3,043 people who tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered.
“Let’s continue to take the necessary precautions to reduce the potential for COVID-19 to spread in our communities and among our friends and family," said Henry.“Start planning today for how you’re going to make your B.C. Day long weekend a safe one. Take the time to assess the risks before spending time with others and put measures in place to protect yourself and those around you.
“How will you give people the space to stay safe? Are you spending a short time together? Are the people you are with in your bubble? If you can’t say ‘yes’ to these questions, then say ‘no’ to the activity. Choose to do something else instead."
Henry adds that spending time outside is far safer than being indoors, so it is a good time totake advantage of the many options here in British Columbia. However, remember to ensure you have a safe physical distance from others, no matter where you may be.
“The provincial health officer’s order on mass gatherings has been amended to limit the number of people in vacation accommodations, including for house, cabin, yurt and boat rentals, as well as hotel rooms.
“The number of people is limited to the capacity of the space, plus up to a maximum of five visitors. For example, if the capacity of the accommodation is four people, the maximum number of visitors allowed is five, for a total of no more than nine people. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure the order is adhered to by all guests and to ensure contact tracing information is collected for everyone – guests and visitors alike.
“When travelling, travel safely. Use your travel manners and be courteous and considerate of those around you. Don’t ask a venue or their staff to bend the rules. Rather, thank them for the efforts they are making to help keep all of us safe.
“Let’s use the summer days to bend our curve back down and help protect everyone in B.C.”
