British Columbia health officials reported 121 new cases of COVID-19 in the province on Friday, including two new cases in Island Health.
Five of the new cases in B.C. are epidemiologically-linked, people who were never tested but were presumed to have COVID-19 because they developed symptoms and were close contacts of a laboratory-confirmed case.
There has been one new COVID-19 related death reported. The B.C. COVID-19 death toll is now 211.
Island Health has now 180 cases since the start of the pandemic. Of the two new cases, one is in the southern Vancouver Island area and one is in the central Vancouver Island area.
COVID-19 cases in Island Health as of Sept. 4. (Island Health)
Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, released Friday’s numbers in a statement, saying the province has now had 6,162 cases since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
There are 1,233 active cases of COVID-19 in the province (an increase of 58 from Sept. 3), 2,792 people who are under active public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases (an decrease of nine from Sept. 3), and 4,706 people who tested positive have recovered.
Thirty-one individuals are in hospital with COVID-19 (down three from Sept. 3), 12 of whom are in intensive care (up one from Sept. 3.).
“Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 2,077 cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 3,201 in the Fraser Health region, 180 in the Island Health region, 451 in the Interior Health region, 174 in the Northern Health region and 79 cases of people who reside outside of Canada.
There has been one new assisted-living facility outbreak at KinVillage in the Fraser Health region. In total, 10 long-term care or assisted-living facilities and two acute-care facilities have active outbreaks. They are:
- Point Grey Private Hospital long-term care facility in Vancouver Coastal Health
- KinVillage assisted-living facility in Fraser Health
- Bear Creek Villa independent-living facility in Fraser Health
- Cherington Place long-term care facility in Fraser Health
- Czorny Alzheimer Centre long-term care facility in Fraser Health
- Derby Manor independent-living facility in Fraser Health
- George Derby Centre long-term care facility in Fraser Health
- MSA Manor long-term care facility (second outbreak) in Fraser Health
- New Vista Care Home long-term care facility in Fraser Health
- Normanna long-term care facility in Fraser Health
There are no new community outbreaks.
In Friday’s statement, Henry and Dix once again reminded people to take precautions this long weekend.
“Whether you’re celebrating the Canucks game tonight or meeting friends for a barbecue or camping, let’s make it a safe, small-group long weekend,” Dix and Henry said.
“Get outside this weekend and enjoy your time with friends and family and outdoor activities, while protecting the more vulnerable around you. We must maintain a very careful balance between fun and caution this long weekend and onwards to the fall.”
READ MORE: COVID-19 case reported on Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation in Gold River area
B.C. has posted detailed information about the geographic distribution of COVID-19 cases from January to July 2020. This map will be continually updated, according to B.C. health officials.
Geographic distribution of COVID-19 cases in B.C. from January to July 2020. (Province of BC)
Island Health’s COVID-19 data breaks down North, Central and South Island case counts and lists the number of days since any new lab-diagnosed cases. You can find the data here along with any public exposures.
To see B.C.’s COVID-19 numbers by day and health authority, along with testing numbers and recoveries, visit the B.C. COVID-19 dashboard. The numbers are updated at 4:30 p.m. PT each weekday.
To see a list of all provincial public COVID-19 exposures in the province, including links to exposures listed on health authority websites, visit the B.C. Centre for Disease Control website here.
According to data collected by Johns Hopkins University and Medicine, the number confirmed of COVID-19 cases worldwide is more than 26.4 million, with more than 871,000 deaths recorded.
Alexa Huffman
