There are now 1,795 cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in B.C., after health officials announced 71 new cases Wednesday.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reports that there are 745 cases in Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), 747 in Fraser Health, 110 on Vancouver Island, 153 in Interior Health and 40 in Northern Health.
There are three new outbreaks in long-term care facilities in the Fraser Health area. Currently, there are 20 active outbreaks in facilities and one acute care unit in the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health regions.
The outbreak at the Mission federal correctional institute in the Fraser Valley continues to grow. Now, five inmates are in hospital.
There have been an additional three deaths, for a total of 90 fatalities in the province.
There are currently 103 people in acute care in hospital, and 46 are in intensive care.
1079 people have fully recovered and are no longer in isolation.
Henry notes that the provine continues to see new community outbreak, which means that more work must be done to break the chains of transmission. While she acknowledges that people miss their family and friends, she underscores that there cannot be any weaknesses in the firewall.
"To ease restrictions we need to have a decline in the number of new cases and a the number of outbreaks," said Henry.
Anyone who doesn't feel well is urged to stay home, even if they experience very mild symptoms. Henry remarks that employers must have measures in place to ensure that everyone who is working is healthy. Further, employees should not be penalized if they stay home.
Yesterday, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) Public Health has declared an outbreak of COVID-19 among staff working at United Poultry Company Ltd., a chicken processing plant located at 534 East Cordova Street. To date, 28 employees of the facility have tested positive for COVID-19. All employees at the facility are being managed as either COVID-19 cases or close contacts and have been told to self-isolate.
Henry also encourages everyone to be kind to people who have to continue to work during the pandemic, such as those working in grocery stores, pharmacies, and in health care. She adds that isolation can be challenging, and that anyone who has an underlying illness should contact a doctor through virtual care. She mentions Anxiety Canada and Bounceback BC as useful resources for mental health.
In a previous briefing, Henry noted that people should consult the new online assessment tool if they aren't sure if they require further testing or assessment for COVID-19. She also underscored the importance of physical distancing, hand washing, covering your mouth if you cough, not touching your face and staying home if you are sick.
