Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry extended the current public health orders restricting gatherings in private homes until Feb. 5 at midnight.
In addition to prohibiting gatherings with people outside your household, the orders restrict public events, adult team sports, in-person religious services, theatres, some types of fitness programs and non-essential travel. The orders were first imposed in November in the Fraser Health region, but were extended to the whole province in December.
Prior to Thursday's announcement, the orders were set to expire on Friday.
"We are in this period of greatest risk and greatest potential benefit," Henry said. "We know the vast majority of people are doing the right thing. (But) the numbers of new cases show that some people in all health authorities... decided to make an exception for themselves."
The province has seen numbers rising over the past few days as people who gathered over the holidays begin to show symptoms and get tested.
While a total of 41,064 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in B.C. so far, that is no where near the 60 to 75 per cent vaccination rate needed to stop community transmission, Henry said.
"This is our riskiest time right now," she said. "I know we can do this. The actions you take together will make a difference."
Two more cases of the more contagious U.K. variation of the COVID-19 virus have been found in B.C., Henry said. Both people were household contacts of the traveller who returned from Britain carrying the virus, she said.
"We have been continuing to do surveillance... (and) we have not yet found any other cases in B.C. with this variant," Henry said.
On Thursday, Henry announced 761 new cases of COVID-19 in B.C., including 64 in the Northern Health region.
The number of active cases in B.C. dropped to 6,349. The number of active cases in the north wasn't provided, but on Thursday the B.C. Centre for Disease Control reported 438 active cases in the north – a slight increase from Wednesday.
There were 38 people in the Northern Health region hospitalized with COVID-19, including 16 in intensive care. Across B.C., a total of 372 people were hospitalized with the disease, of which 74 were in intensive care.
A further eight deaths related to COVID-19 were reported on Thursday, bringing the province's death toll to 970. None of those deaths were in the Northern Health region, leaving the region's death toll from the pandemic at 32.
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 56,015 cases of COVID-19 in B.C. – including 2,338 in the Northern Health region.
The numbers reflect a change in how COVID-19 data is reported in the province.
As of Thursday, labs conducting COVID-19 tests in B.C. will report their results directly to the B.C. CDC, rather than first reporting to the province's five health authorities, which then report out to the CDC.
Data reported in the B.C. CDC's COVID-19 dashboard was updated to reflect this change and make historical data conform to the new reporting method.
JUBILEE LODGE OUTBREAK DEADLY
As of Thursday, the B.C. CDC will be providing weekly updates on the number of cases and death linked to outbreaks in long-term care, assisted living and independent living facilities.
According to the data released on Thursday, there has been a total of 59 cases at Jubilee Lodge in Prince George – 48 in residents and 11 in staff – and 12 residents have died of the disease. The data reported by the B.C. CDC incorrectly reported a total of eight deaths at the long-term care home, a spokesperson for Northern Health said.
At the North Peace Seniors Housing Society apartments in Fort St. John, 15 residents have been infected and one has died. One staff member at the facility was also infected.
During the outbreak at Rotary Manor in Dawson Creek, which is now over, nine residents and five staff contracted COVID-19 and two residents died.
