Health officials report 21 new coronavirus cases in BC

British Columbia health officials reported 21 new known cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday afternoon, for a recorded total of 3,149 cases since the pandemic began.

A written statement from BC Health Minister Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry noted, however, that no new deaths have been recorded.

“There are 207 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 2,753 people who tested positive have recovered,” the statement says. “Of the total COVID-19 cases, 14 individuals are hospitalized, five of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation.”

Broken down by health region, there have been 1,023 cases in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 1,659 in the Fraser Health region, 135 in the Island Health region, 216 in the Interior Health region, 65 in the Northern Health region and 51 cases of people who reside outside of Canada.

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The death toll from COVID-19 in BC currently sits at 189, and “we offer our condolences to everyone who has lost their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement says.

It also notes that there have been no new healthcare facility outbreaks. In total, two long-term care or assisted-living facilities and one acute-care facility have active outbreaks.

“Here in British Columbia, as we spend more time with others, we need to find our balance with COVID-19. We need to minimize the number of cases, manage new cases as they emerge and modify our activities accordingly,” the joint statement reads. “To do this, we all have to do our part by continuing to use our layers of protection and following our rules for safe social interactions.

The statement notes that “no one wants to get sick with COVID-19, nor do we want to inadvertently pass it onto others. While the symptoms can be mild, it is a complex illness that has serious consequences. Let’s enjoy the summer safely and continue to do all we can to protect our neighbours, our friends and our loved ones.”