It's been 37 days without any newly discovered COVID-19 cases in the Northern Health Authority.
In a daily briefing this afternoon (July 16), Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced B.C. has recorded 21 (including three epi-linked) new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 3,170.
Northern B.C. has not seen a case since June 9, with the total staying at 65.
There are 192 active cases as well as 15 people in hospital being treated for COVID-19 and three in critical care, along with 2,789 recoveries.
Henry says no one passed away from the virus in the province since yesterday's update (July 15), which keeps the total at 189.
There have been 1,028 cases recorded in Vancouver Coastal Health, 1,667 in Fraser Health, 136 in the Island Health region, 223 in Interior Health and 51 cases with people that live outside of Canada.
-0 new deaths in past day total 189
— Jess Balzer (@jessicajbalzer) July 16, 2020
-192 active cases
-15 hospitalized in B.C.
-3 in ICU
-2,789 fully recovered#covidBC #covid19 #covid19BC #bc #northernhealth @PGMatters
Two seniors' long-term care facilities have active outbreaks: Holy Family Hospital long-term care facility and Maple Hill long-term care facility. There also remains an outbreak at Mission Memorial Hospital, which spawned the outbreak at Maple Hill, when infected patients were transferred from the hospital.
Less than half of B.C.'s 681 seniors' homes have yet to submit plans to the government on how they intend to start allowing family members and others to visit residents.
Health Minister Adrian Dix said today that representatives at 318 homes have submitted plans to the provincial government, and that this is up significantly from the 61 homes that had such plans a week ago.
Dix said last month that he was earmarking $165 million in new funding for up to three new full-time staff per home to oversee the visits and train visitors on how to wear protective equipment.
He also announced that the government would provide a total of $26.5 million to care home operators to subsidize them for extra costs endured during the pandemic, including such items as hand sanitizer and masks.
Of the existing outbreaks, 27 cases have been linked to a gathering in Kelowna that spawned cases in multiple locations.
There are also four cases related to the Krazy Cherry Fruit Co. in Oliver.
It is safe to eat cherries from that facility, Henry said.
- with files from Glen Korstrom, Business In Vancouver
