29 new COVID-19 cases in B.C. since Friday;

HEALTH Minister Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced on Monday that British Columbia has had 29 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday.

There were no new COVID-19 related deaths. There has been a total of 167 deaths in the province.

Dix and Henry said: “Today, we are providing case updates for three 24-hour reporting periods.

“In the first reporting period from June 5 to June 6, we had 14 new cases. In the second reporting period from June 6 to June 7, we had six cases and in the last 24 hours we have had a further nine cases.

“This represents 29 new cases who have tested positive for COVID-19 and one new epi-linked case since we reported on Friday, for a total of 2,659 cases in British Columbia.”

There are 183 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 2,309 people who tested positive have recovered.

Of the total COVID-19 cases, 16 individuals are hospitalized, four of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

Every health region in British Columbia has patients with COVID-19. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 907 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 1,362 in the Fraser Health region, 130 in the Island Health region, 195 in the Interior Health region and 65 in the Northern Health region. The number of cases in the Vancouver Coastal Health region has been adjusted to reflect a reporting error.

There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks and the outbreak at the New Vista Society has now been declared over. In total, four long-term care or assisted-living facilities continue to have active outbreaks.

There have been no new community outbreaks and the outbreaks at Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry and Superior Poultry have also been declared over. Public health teams are providing support for the six ongoing community outbreaks.

They added: “As we continue to slowly and thoughtfully ease restrictions, British Columbians are making plans for summer travel. Like other activities during our COVID-19 pandemic, summer holidays and travel will be different this year.

“We encourage British Columbians to be respectful of the communities you plan to visit and be safe as you enjoy the many beautiful locations throughout our province.

“When you hit the open roads this summer, you are not leaving COVID-19 behind. The precautions you take at home should also be taken when you are away.

“Contact the local tourism association or Chamber of Commerce to find out what services are available and what may still be closed. Be as self-sufficient as possible to avoid putting an additional burden on smaller communities.

“Like all of us, B.C.’s communities are doing what is best for them. Some towns and regions who rely on tourism are eager to welcome B.C. visitors with safety measures in place, while others who are challenged to support large numbers are asking visitors to keep their stays short.

“Be understanding of those who may be coming to your community. A visitor may be travelling for work or needing to travel to provide care to a family member. Our circumstances are unique, but our efforts to keep our loved ones and our communities safe are shared.

“We can all enjoy this summer safely. Let’s protect our province by protecting each other, while showing kindness, compassion and respect.”