HEALTH Minister Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry on Wednesday announced 44 new cases of COVID-19 for a total of 1,561 cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia.

Every health region in British Columbia has patients with COVID-19: 670 are in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 623 are in the Fraser Health region, 92 are in the Island Health region, 146 are in the Interior Health region and 30 are in the Northern Health region.

There were three new COVID-19 related deaths, one in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, one in the Fraser Health region and one in the Interior Health region for a total of 75 deaths in British Columbia.

There have been no new long-term care outbreaks in the last day. The 21 affected long-term care and assisted-living facilities have a total of 265 cases of COVID-19.

Fraser Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control continue to provide ongoing support for the outbreak at the Mission Institution federal correctional centre. Federal officials have indicated there are no new confirmed COVID-19 positive cases.

To date, 955 people who had tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered and no longer require isolation.

Of the total COVID-19 cases, 131 individuals are currently hospitalized, 59 of those are in intensive care, and the remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

Dix and Henry said: “We have taken a co-ordinated, provincewide approach to our COVID-19 response to ensure the needs that exist within every community are addressed.

“One thing that we all have in common is the understanding that Elders and seniors hold and preserve our history and culture. We also know that they are most vulnerable to COVID-19 and we must do all we can to protect them.

“We also recognize that every community in B.C. is unique – with different health-care services and required support. Smaller communities have limited health services, which makes managing and responding to COVID-19 all the more challenging.

“This is especially the case for many Indigenous communities and why we have been working to increase options for patient care and clinical support.

“While self-isolation at home is preferred by many, it is not always possible. As a result, resources have been created to support Indigenous individuals with alternatives – in urban centres and in local communities.

“Localized testing capabilities have been established in the Interior and North to shorten testing turnaround times and reduce the potential for community transmission.”

“From the outset of this pandemic, we have adapted our response and added new tools to support British Columbians, and we will continue to do so moving forward. What we do today and every day matters.

“Let’s continue to work together, to stay strong and flatten the curve.”