There are now 2,541 cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in B.C., after health officials announced 11 new cases Tuesday.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reports that there are 897 cases in Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), 1261 in Fraser Health, 127 on Vancouver Island, 194 in Interior Health and 62 in Northern Health.
There have been no new health-care outbreaks. In total, 14 long-term care or assisted-living facilities and one acute-care units have active outbreaks. Three hundred and thirty three residents and 210 staff have been affected.
Public health teams continue to provide support for community outbreaks at federal corrections facilities, the two processing facilities within the poultry sector and for individuals connected to the Kearl Lake plant in Alberta.
"We would like to assure British Columbians that there have been no reported cases of food or food packaging associated with the transmission of COVID-19. Our food supply is safe, including products from facilities where there have been outbreaks of COVID-19," said Henry.
There have been no new deaths.
There are currently 37 people in acute care in hospital.
There are 258 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 2,122 people who tested positive have recovered.
Yesterday, Henry announced the start of B.C. Paramedic Services Week: "We want to recognize these emergency first responders who are an integral part of our health response, including to both public health emergencies we are facing in B.C. These specialists are with us from the moment we call 911, to when we get to hospital, as part of the network of health professionals helping to protect us. They are active in supporting health care in communities across B.C. through the Community Paramedicine program."
There was one new community outbreak reported Saturday, at Nature's Touch, a frozen food processing plant in Abbotsford. There are currently five people associated with that outbreak who have tested positive for COVID-19. "This one was caught relatively early," said Henry, adding that while the plant was not ordered to close, it will be closed over the weekend during which proper protective procedures will be implemented.
An investigation is ongoing.
Last week, many businesses that had been closed due to the pandemic can "begin the process of safely reopening." The public health officer's revised orders can be found on the province's website.
As the province "cautiously" moves toward its second phase of reopening with a gradual easing of restrictions, Henry warned that "we have to move carefully, and we have to move thoughtfully.
"The province-wide Your Story, Our Future survey is an opportunity to share your personal experience with COVID-19 so far. Take a few minutes to join the 286,000 British Columbians who have already completed the survey, or help someone else to do the same," she said.
“The information you share is incredibly important and so is ensuring your confidentiality and data security. The survey has stringent security and privacy measures built in to make sure you can provide your input with the assurance of the security we all expect and need. If you have any questions about the survey, please send them to: covid19.speak@bccdc.ca.
“Our individual circumstances are unique, but the actions we can take to protect each other and ourselves are the same. We have made great strides to flatten our curve and we must continue to work together to keep it there.”
- With files from Megan Lalonde
