There are now 2,869 cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in B.C. after health officials announced 20 new cases Thursday.
There are 19 new cases of COVID-19 as well as one new epidemiologically linked case.
Provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry reports that there are 970 cases in Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), 1,504 in Fraser Health, 131 on Vancouver Island, 199 in Interior Health and 65 in Northern Health.
There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. In total, six long-term care or assisted-living facilities and one acute-care facility have active outbreaks.
There have been no new community outbreaks. Public health teams continue to provide support for the two remaining community locations.
There have been two new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 173 deaths in British Columbia.
There are currently 15 people in acute care in hospital and seven are in intensive care.
There are 179 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 2,517 people who tested positive have recovered.
“We can all take confidence in knowing that we have established clear foundations for a safe path ahead. These are the foundations that will carry us forward for the remainder of this year and into the next, until an effective treatment or vaccine is in place," said Henry.
“Continuing to use our layers of protection will keep us safe; always staying home when ill, fewer faces and bigger spaces, plexi-barriers and one-way pathways, washing our hands, cleaning more, maintaining a safe physical distance from others and using non-medical masks when distancing is challenging.
“We can all move at our own pace, based on our own risk assessment. Some individuals may choose to limit their social interactions, and some communities may decide that it is best for visitors to come at another time. As we go through our day, it is important to be respectful of those around us.
“We know what we do makes a difference. Let’s do our part by being 100% committed to staying safe.”
On Wednesday, Premier John Horgan stated that the Province will move into Phase 3 of B.C.'s restart plan during a press conference.
Horgan added that TransLink weekly ridership is more than double what it was at the COVID-19 low point on April 5, that children have gone back to school, and that a number of people have been out to enjoy parks and interact with one another.
Most of the businesses listed in Phase 3 of B.C.’s Restart Plan now have the guidance they need to safely begin to open. WorkSafeBC, public health officials and industry representatives have developed guidelines for hotels and resorts, parks, the film industry and select entertainment, like movie theatres, and businesses in these sectors have already begun to open with COVID-19 safety plans in place.
