Three more COVID-19 deaths in B.C., 29 new confirmed cases

VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) — Three more people in the province have died as a result of the novel coronavirus, and 29 new cases have been confirmed Saturday.

So far, the province has a total of 1,203 confirmed cases, but 704 of those people have recovered. One hundred forty-nine people are currently hospitalized due to the virus, with 68 of them in critical care.

A total of 38 people have died from the virus.

Dr Bonnie Henry
New deaths 3 – now 38 people have lost their lives.
hospital 149 – was 146
ICU 68 – was 64
recovered 704 was 673#bcpoli #covid19 @news1130

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) April 4, 2020

Among the cases announced Saturday, another outbreak has taken place in a long term care facility in the Fraser health region. This is the 23rd outbreak in long term care homes.

“As I’ve mentioned, you know, this is an area of particular focus that we have been working on … for most of these outbreaks catching it early has made a huge difference in protecting the people in that facility,” Henry says.

Henry added, the province has established a COVID-19 Strategic Research Advisory Committee, which will be led by a physician epidemiologist from the B.C. Centre for disease control, Dr. David Patrick.

“So this advisory committee is going to facilitate the ongoing research here in B.C. that will contribute to our understanding and knowledge, also contribute to the information that we get on a daily basis to help us understand how we’re doing,” she says.

Henry says health officials have also allocated about $2 million in funding to the Michael Smith Foundation for health research.

Where we are at today with my low tech spreadsheet.#bcpoli #covid19 @news1130 pic.twitter.com/66gZxfwL1n

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) April 4, 2020