Photo: Province of B.C. Flickr
Sophie Gray
Local Journalism Initiative
Eighteen new cases and an extension of health orders to limit gatherings of cars were the main takeaways from a joint statement by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health Adrian Dix Friday.
The statement noted a decline in long term care and assisted living outbreaks, bringing the total down to 14. Special attention was given to the steep rise in cases in Interior Health, where cases jumped by 11 over the last 24 period, making for a discrepancy in the number of new cases recorded and total cases in the province, which is up to 2,507. Yesterday, the total number of cases was listed at 2,479 in B.C.
“The discrepancy between new cases and total cases with the Interior Health and Island Health regions reported today are a data consolidation to reflect COVID-19 cases based on where individuals reside, even if they were not in the health authority during their illness,” said the joint statement. “Nine of the cases in Interior Health and one case in Island Health are individuals associated with the Kearl Lake outbreak, who completed their self-isolation in Alberta and have since recovered.”
The statement also noted that although phase two of B.C.’s restart program is underway, health orders limiting gatherings to less than 50 people still apply. The order is now also being extended to cars, limiting the amount of cars to 50 or less at drive-in events, with restrictions on concession sales as well.
“Anyone attending these events must stay in their cars unless they have to go to washrooms, which must be serviced with running water for proper hand hygiene,” Dr. Henry and Dix said in the statement.
There are now 310 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C. Forty-one are in hospital and 8 are in intensive care. Today marked another bad day for deaths, with an additional three people passing away from COVID-19.
