Northern Health has two additional COVID-19 test positive cases, following today’s (May 22) provincial COVID-19 update.
Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s provincial health officer, issued a joint statement regarding today’s numbers.
There have been 18 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed for a total of 2,507 cases in B.C.
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 888 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 1,236 in the Fraser Health region, 127 in the Island Health region, 194 in the Interior Health region and 62 in the Northern Health region.
There are 310 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 2,042 people who tested positive have recovered.
Of the total COVID-19 cases, 41 individuals are hospitalized, eight of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation.
"We are saddened to report three new COVID-19 related deaths in the Fraser Health region, for a total of 155 deaths in British Columbia. We offer our condolences to the family, friends and caregivers of these individuals, as well as to everyone who has lost their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Dix and Henry in the statement.
“"There have been no new health-care outbreaks, and the outbreak at Lions Gate Hospital has been declared over. In total, 14 long-term care or assisted-living facilities and two acute-care units have active outbreaks.”
Henry and Dix also made an adjustment to the order restricting mass gatherings, as we continue in Phase 2 of B.C.’s Restart plan.
"While Phase 2 is now underway, the provincial health officer order restricting mass gatherings to no more than 50 individuals remains in place. Further, the order has been amended to also include no more than 50 vehicles for outdoor drive-in events, with a restriction on the sale of refreshments,” says Dix and Henry.
“Anyone attending these events must stay in their cars unless they have to go to washrooms, which must be serviced with running water for proper hand hygiene.”
They said they’ve seen British Columbians throughout the province using the WorkSafeBC public health guidelines and the rules for safe social interactions to increase activities while protecting employees, customers, friends and family.
