HEALTH Minister Adrian Dix and Deputy Provincial Health Officer Dr. Réka Gustafson on Tuesday announced 83 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in British Columbia.

However, thankfully, there were no new COVID-19-related deaths. So far, there have been 198 deaths in the province.

There are 775 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 3,704 people who tested positive have recovered.

Currently, six individuals are hospitalized with COVID-19, three of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation. As well, 2,326 people are under active public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 1,447 cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 2,473 in the Fraser Health region, 156 in the Island Health region, 407 in the Interior Health region, 120 in the Northern Health region and 74 cases of people who reside outside of Canada.

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

There are no new community outbreaks. However, community exposure events continue.

Alerts are posted on the BC Centre for Disease Control’s (BCCDC) website, as well as on health authorities’ websites, providing details on where the potential exposures occurred and what actions to take – whether you need to immediately self-isolate or monitor for symptoms.

Dix and Gustafson said: “We need every new case of COVID-19 to be identified, traced and contained as quickly as possible to keep our curve where we need it to be.

“Public health teams are actively working in our communities, and all of us also have an important role to play.

“Hundreds of people are now self-isolating and under care, and we can support them to do that well. Because the virus can spread with very mild symptoms, it is essential that anyone advised to self-isolate stays home, and stays away from others, for the full 14-day period.

“If you have COVID-19 or have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19, public health teams are here to support you. You can help them and your community by answering their call quickly and providing as much information as you can. Quickly isolating people who have COVID-19 and reaching their contacts is one of the most effective ways of controlling spread.

“If your friend or family member is self-isolating, show you care by assisting them with the essentials they may need.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that we have to think about new things and do things we have never done before. This can be challenging, but we can all take confidence in knowing that by doing our part, we can keep ourselves and those around us safe.

“To support public health teams throughout our province and protect the people we care about most, we have to take the time to assess the risks before we spend time with others. The effort is small, but the benefits are immense.

“We need to continue to protect those who are most vulnerable – our seniors and Elders, and those with underlying health conditions – by thinking about who we are being exposed to, and who we may be exposing, when spending time with others.

“Seeing friends may seem safe, but if you are in close contact with an elderly family member, your visit may inadvertently put them at risk.

“Let’s use our layers of protection, giving ourselves and those around us the space to stay safe no matter what we are doing or where we may be. This is how we protect our communities and stay strong.”