“As we all look ahead to the upcoming B.C. Day long weekend, let’s ensure it is a safe weekend for all of us”

ADRIAN Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer, on Tuesday announced 23 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), for a total of 3,523 cases in British Columbia.

There was one new COVID-19-related death in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, and the total of deaths now stands at 194.

There are 253 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 3,076 people who tested positive have recovered.

Of the total COVID-19 cases, nine individuals are hospitalized, three of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 1,067 cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 1,815 in the Fraser Health region, 143 in the Island Health region, 358 in the Interior Health region, 80 in the Northern Health region and 60 cases of people who reside outside of Canada.

There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. In total, one long-term care facility and two acute-care facilities have active outbreaks.

There are no new community outbreaks and public-health teams continue to support the active outbreaks on Haida Gwaii and at Fraser Valley Packers Inc.

There continues to be additional community exposure events throughout the province. A full listing of community exposure events for each health authority is available through the BC Centre for Disease Control, as well as on health-authority websites.

Dix and Henry added: “As we all look ahead to the upcoming B.C. Day long weekend, let’s ensure it is a safe weekend for all of us. Whether it is enjoying the local parks, staying at a vacation rental or out for dinner, keeping our groups small and maintaining safe distances will protect ourselves and those around us. And if you are in a vacation rental accommodation, whether a hotel room or houseboat, new provincial health officer orders mean you can have a maximum of five visitors and you must take down their contact information.

“Let’s make sure COVID-19 doesn’t take our summer away by taking steps to bend our curve back down, this weekend and every weekend.”