B.C. records 20 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

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VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) — B.C. has recorded 20 new cases of COVID-19, and no deaths in the last 24 hours.

During Thursday’s update, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry explained the province will continue reporting numbers from individual health authorities but also note positive cases among people who have come to the province from outside the country.


“It’s just a way of making sure we understand the impact on our population and the impact of travel, and other people who are coming into British Columbia during the pandemic. This includes, particularly, visitors who were here and became ill whilst they were here and our temporary foreign workers,” she said.


The province’s total of positive cases is now 3,208.

No new outbreaks have occurred in healthcare facilities or in the community. However, three outbreaks are still ongoing, two of which are at long-term care facilities and one is in an acute care facility.

Henry also noted the expanded exposure warning for the No5 Orange in Vancouver, and asked anyone who had been there on July 1, 3, 4 and 7 to monitor carefully for symptoms and limit contact with others. If anyone develops symptoms, they are asked to call 811 to arrange testing.

There are currently 175 active cases in the province. Seventeen people are in hospital due to COVID-19, with four of them in critical care or ICU.

So far 2,667 people have recovered, and the recovery rate is still 88 per cent.

“Until a vaccine is available, we know this virus is going to circulate in our communities,” Henry said. “We’ve seen elsewhere around the world, including in the United States, and other places that things can quickly escalate once again if we let our guard down. We have to keep the virus low and slow over the next few months.”

Henry said it is a fine balance of opening things up again in B.C., and with the modelling, she said the province is at about 65 per cent of where it used to be in terms on contacts.

“That’s the balance we need to keep to make sure that we can control this virus and make sure it’s not going to spread rapidly.”


Given the recent exposure events, Henry said guidance will be reviewed and adjusted to keep everyone safe.

She added more recommendations will be so groups, like choirs, can get back to more activities.

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