BC health official to give live COVID-19 update on Monday afternoon

Health officials in British Columbia are scheduled to give a live COVID-19 update on Monday afternoon.

The announcement will include three reporting periods. It follows a total of 514 new coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the province to 66,779.

There are currently 4,557 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Additionally, there are 292 individuals currently hospitalized with the virus, 74 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

A reported 7,000 people are under active public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases, and there have been five new COVID-19-related deaths. To date, there have been 1,189 deaths in BC.

A total of 59,551 people who tested positive have now recovered from the virus.

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British Columbia’s province-wide ban on gatherings and events remains in effect until midnight of February 5. The orders, which include a ban on indoor and outdoor private gatherings, community events, travel, and variants of adult sports, first came into effect on November 19, 2020.

Last week, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry hinted at more restrictions being implemented should BC fail to break the current plateau of cases. Henry said the province is currently at the “threshold” of where it was in November, prior to the increase in case numbers just before the Christmas season.

Data from the BC Centre for Disease Control and Vancouver Coastal Health also shows how Whistler has become the province’s latest COVID-19 hotspot.

In a heat map plotting new infections per capita between January 17 and 23, the Howe Sound region reports 224 new cases per 100,000 people. The area around the popular ski resort is coloured a deep burgundy. VCH, the health authority responsible for Howe Sound, recorded 288 new COVID-19 infections in Whistler between January 1 and 26. Six restaurants and bars have also been flagged for potential COVID-19 exposure.

Monday’s update is scheduled to begin at 3 pm and can be streamed online.