There are now 1618 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reported 43 new cases in her briefing on Friday.
Dr. Henry says that what happens next is “directly tied to your continued efforts.”
“We still have new cases, new outbreaks and tragically, new deaths. We cannot afford a resurgence that will undo all of the effort and sacrifices we have made so far.”
Dr. Henry says everyone wants opportunities for more social connection, “but we’re not there yet.”
She cautions, “we need to be thoughtful and careful in our approach. ” Dr. Henry says that finding the right balance is “even more challenging because of the nature of the COVID-19 virus.”
The total on Vancouver Island now sits at 94, which is unchanged from Thursday’s numbers.
There are now 63 cases of COVID-19 at the federal prison in Mission and six inmates are being treated in hospital. Correctional Services Canada is working with the Fraser Health region to manage the outbreak. Earlier this week, one inmate from the Mission institution died from COVID-19 related complications.
Of the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the province, 966 people have returned back to full health.
So far, just under 60,000 tests for the virus have been conducted.
