IT is quite obvious that cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in British Columbia will keep increasing as Health Minister Adrian Dix and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer, keep making regular announcements of new cases.

On Thursday they announced eight new cases of COVID-19 for a total of 21 cases in B.C. The individuals are in the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health regions and were confirmed positive based on BC Centre for Disease Control testing.

Cases 14, 15, 16 and 17 are close contacts of case 10. They are a man in his 20s, a man in his 30s, a woman in her 50s and a woman in her 60s.

Cases 18 and 19 are a woman in her 50s and a man in his 60s who reside in a single household. They recently returned from Iran.

Case 20 is a woman in her 50s who frequently travels to Metro Vancouver from the Seattle, Washington area. She is staying with family in the Fraser Health region.

Case 21 is a woman in her 50s with no recent travel history who resides in the Fraser Health region.

Four B.C. patients have now fully recovered and one patient remains in critical condition in care at hospital. The remaining individuals with COVID-19 are in isolation at home with support and monitoring from public health teams.

Public health teams continue to identify and notify close contacts of all active cases. They will be supported to self-isolate for 14 days and are being monitored for symptoms.

Dix and Henry said: “We are continuing widespread testing by screening British Columbians and travellers with symptoms, along with their close contacts, to identify cases of COVID-19 and take immediate action as we have seen today.”