HEALTH Minister Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry on Monday announced 31 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) since Friday for a total of 2,978 cases in British Columbia.

There have been six new COVID-19 related deaths over the past three days: four in the Vancouver Coastal Health region and two in the Fraser Health region, for a total of 183 deaths in the province.

They said: “Today, we are providing case updates for three 24-hour reporting periods. In the first reporting period from July 3 to July 4, we had nine new cases. From July 4 to July 5, we had 15 new cases and in the last 24 hours, we have had a further seven new cases.”

There are 166 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 2,629 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 with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 1,008 cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 1,570 in the Fraser Health region, 132 in the Island Health region, 203 in the Interior Health region and 65 in the Northern Health region.

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

While cases continue to occur in the community, there are no active community outbreaks in B.C.

Dix and Henry said: “With our ‘new COVID-19 normal,’ we can all enjoy many activities by following the rules we have established for safe social interactions. The rules are the foundation to safely move forward.

“Young or old, in a city or in a small town, our new normal is doable for everyone.

“Anyone who is new to British Columbia from elsewhere in Canada, whether coming for work or on vacation, needs to understand that here in B.C. we are keeping our contacts small, maintaining a safe distance from others, using masks when that is challenging to do and always staying away from others if we are feeling ill.

“Anyone from outside of Canada who is here for essential travel or returning home is required to follow Canada’s quarantine order to self-isolate for 14 days prior to interacting with others.

“While the quarantine order is an important part of Canada’s border protection during COVID-19, we remind all British Columbians that we must show kindness and understanding to those around us.

“We have to remember that many Canadians reside elsewhere and are only now returning home or may have returned home in the past few months. Let’s lead by example, assume the best and remember we do not always know everyone’s story.

“COVID-19 has created many uncertainties and fear, but we have built a path forward that will keep all of us safe in the weeks and months ahead.

“Through our own personal efforts and actions, we can protect our communities, our seniors and Elders and our loved ones. Our public health teams are monitoring and managing new cases as we have modified how we run our businesses and spend time with others.

“We have worked hard to flatten our COVID-19 curve and by continuing to stay vigilant and work together, we can continue to keep our province safe.”