Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry have reported that the total of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia has risen to 472, with three more deaths.
Dr. Henry revealed the updated numbers in a press conference Monday morning, saying there have been 48 new positive tests in the province since their last update on Saturday.
She added that of the total 472 cases, 33 people are being treated in hospital, while 14 are in intensive care.
The three additional deaths brings the provincial total to 13.
In regards to the new deaths, Henry said two of the three were related to long-term care facilities, including one in the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver, where several other deaths have occurred. There was also a death at the Haro Park Care Center in downtown Vancouver and one linked to a community case in the Fraser Health region.
As far as Vancouver Island goes, there are now a total of 39 confirmed cases. That means only two additional cases have been confirmed since Dr. Henry’s last update on Saturday. The health region with the most continues to be Vancouver Coastal Health with a confirmed 248.
Some positive news issued by Dr. Henry was that 100 cases have now fully recovered from the deadly virus.
“That is a good thing to put that on our books, finally,” said Henry.
Health Minister Dix took the stand following Dr. Henry to add that B.C. is completing approximately 3,300 to 3,600 coronavirus tests per day.
Along with the testing numbers, Dix said that 1,234 acute care beds have been made available in provincial hospitals. As of Monday, Dix confirmed that only 68.6 per cent of acute care hospital beds were currently occupied, which is significantly lower than the historical occupancy rate of 103.5%.
Dix also suggested that, in order to free up space in hospitals, other facilities were being converted to health care centres, including the Summit at Quadra Village in Victoria.
The province still remains under a state of emergency as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be on the upswing. In today’s press conference Dr. Henry continued to stress the importance of social distancing, limiting people to going outside with only family members or people they live with.
“Every day you and your family stay distanced from others … the better prepared we will be for the coming days and coming weeks. We must do everything possible, every day, to protect our communities and protect our loved ones,” said Dr. Henry.
The provincial health officers words echoed those of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who declared a stern message to Canadians earlier on Monday.
“We’ve all seen the pictures online of people who think they are invincible. Well you’re not. Enough is enough. Go home and stay home. This is what we all need to be doing and we’re going to make sure this happens whether by educating people more on the risks or by enforcing the rules,” Trudeau said at a press conference from his home in Ottawa.
Dix’s message on social distancing due to COVID-19 was more the same, however, he did commend British Columbians for the quick and “extraordinary” adaptations they’ve made to their regular lives.
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