Photo: Flickr

Sophie Gray 

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Seven new cases of COVID-19 were announced in the Interior Health region Friday, bringing the total for the region to 19, according to Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister for Health Adrian Dix who urged B.C. residents to “build a firewall” against the virus.

Henry and Dix also stated that as of midnight tonight, they are ordering the closure of all restaurants and bars to dine-in services. This comes only hours after Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart also mandated the same for the city of Vancouver.

“From today, my order is that restaurants must more to a take-out or delivery model only, as a way to best protect us and ensure that we can maintain those distances,” said Henry.

Henry went on to say that going outside and working are encouraged to continue, provided distancing measure can be followed. She urged business to stay open if they are able to do so safely and while following social distancing regulations and supporting employees to stay home when they are sick.

In a press conference on Friday afternoon, the pair announced 77 new cases across the B.C. today, for a total of 348 confirmed cases of the virus in the province. The majority of cases are in the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health Authorities. Of the 348 cases, 22 are being treated at hospital, 10 are in intensive care units in hospital, and 6 are reported as fully recovered.

The remaining cases are recovering at home said Dr. Henry. Henry and Dix stressed the need for support of our health care workers who are working tirelessly at this time.

“I know there’s been a lot of concern and a lot of angst that we’re not going to have the supplies that we need to protect our health care workers across the spectrum, whether it’s pre-hospital care, in home care, whether it’s our community physicians or our long term care homes,” said Henry. “And I want to say that right now we have been working on this across the province and
across the country and we do have the supplies right now and we are committed to doing everything that we can to make sure that we continue to have what we need to best protect everybody in our health care system right now. And that’s my personal commitment as well.”

Dix and Henry will be making another announcement Saturday afternoon to keep the province up to date and current on the Cover-19 situation as it evolves.