Northern Health again remains at 60 test positive cases, with no new COVID-19 cases announced in the region.
Today (May 20) there were 21 new cases of COVID-19 provincially, for a total of 2,467 cases in British Columbia.
Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, have issued a joint statement regarding today’s COVID-19 update.
There are 317 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 2,001 people who tested positive have recovered.
Of the total COVID-19 cases, 43 individuals are hospitalized, 10 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Every health region in British Columbia has patients with COVID-19. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 885 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 1,214 in the Fraser Health region, 126 in the Island Health region, 182 in the Interior Health region and 60 in the Northern Health region.
“We are saddened to report three new COVID-19 related deaths: one in the Vancouver Coastal Health region and two in the Fraser Health region, for a total of 149 deaths in British Columbia,” reads the statement. “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.”
There has been one new health-care outbreak at The Cedars in Mission assisted-living facility. Both outbreaks at Ridge Meadows Hospital have now been declared over. In total, 15 long-term care or assisted-living facilities and three acute-care units have active outbreaks.
Henry and Dix say public health teams continue to provide support for community outbreaks at the Oppenheimer Group, those in the poultry sector, at the Mission Institution and with those connected to the Kearl Lake plant in Alberta.
As far as B.C.'s restart plan, Henry and Dix said every step has been given "careful thought and consideration to ensure the health and safety of British Columbians comes first." They also added, “Our ‘new normal’ is different from the way we have done things before, but we can reopen our schools and our businesses, and increase our connections in a way that is safe for everyone."
The statement also touched on the federal government’s recent comments about the use of face masks.
“Today, the federal government spoke to the use of non-medical masks or cloth face coverings in public settings. When it is difficult to keep a safe physical distance for an extended period of time - for example, when you are on transit - this is a good way for you to protect those around you,” says Henry and Dix.
“We have to remember that face coverings keep our droplets in and don’t prevent transmission from others. The best ways for us to stay safe is to wash our hands, maintain a safe physical distance from others and keep our ‘rules’ for social interactions top of mind.”
