The BC Centre for Disease Control has released an updated map of the latest coronavirus (COVID-19) hotspots in the province.
Each week, the BCCDC releases an update of the COVID-19 cases for the most recent seven-day period (Sunday to Saturday).
In the Lower Mainland, Vancouver has the second-highest number of new cases of COVID-19, with 1,297 cases identified over the past week. However, Vancouver is divided into six local health areas.
Vancouver - City Centre (local health area 321) saw the highest number of new cases of COVID-19 in Vancouver, with 297. Vancouver - South (local health area 326) following City Centre with 256 cases. Vancouver - Midtown (local health area 325) saw the third-highest number of cases in the city, with 244 new cases detected over the past week.
Surrey has the highest number of new cases over the past week, with 1,573. The Tri-Cites local health area follows Surrey with 514 new cases.
Burnaby saw 473 new cases in the past week, making it the fourth-highest in the Vancouver Coastal health area.
The map also indicates the average daily rate of new cases per 100,000 population by local health area.
Photo via BC Centre for Disease Control"This is a different game right now."
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reminds British Columbians to continue following the province-wide restrictions in the wake of surging coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.
While the restrictions have been in place since November 19, 2020, Henry told reporters in the daily COVID-19 (April 15) briefing that they are especially important now due to increasing cases and variants of concern.
"The variants are more transmissible but the things that stop the variants are the same," she noted.
"We know that travel and travelling for social connections, for recreation, for vacation, are settings where we've seen transmission happen very rapidly."
Indoor dining restrictions to be extended across B.C. due to surging COVID-19 cases
Restrictions to indoor dining across British Columbia are expected to be extended into May, according to an industry update newsletter from the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association (BCRFA).
Tuesday (April 13) afternoon the BCRFA, Restaurants Canada and the Alliance of Beverage Licensees (ABLE BC) had a meeting with provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry in regards to the current provincial health order, which prohibits in-restaurant dining.
"Our conversation has indicated that the current PHO order restricting in-restaurant dining will be extended beyond April 19th through to May," explains a statement from the BCRFA. "This is a result of the continued high number of daily cases and the Province's goal to have restrictions in place that avoid socialization and gathering indoors, for now."
The BCRFA also mentions that they expressed frustration with inconsistency and confusion in regards to patios. As a result, the organization said they would be working closely with officials "on a patio guidelines document which will better outline the requirements for patios and provide clarity for [the] industry."
