There are now 1266 cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in B.C., after health officials announced 63 new cases Monday.
There were 26 new cases on Saturday, followed by 37 Sunday.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reports that there are 586 cases in Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), 450 in Fraser Health, 79 on Vancouver Island, 128 in Interior Health and 23 in Northern Health.
There are now 210 cases that are associated with long-term care facilities. Currently, there are 21 active outbreaks in facilities in the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health regions.
There are currently 140 people in acute care in hospital, and 72 are in intensive care.
783 people have fully recovered.
There has been one new death, a man who was in his 40s. The community death is under investigation at this time.
There has been an outbreak at a federal correctional facility in Mission, and an outbreak response has been activated. Two inmates have tested positive.
"My focus this week is to be supporting you all," states Henry, as she encouraged the public to slow transmission.
Henry adds that the number of new cases in B.C. has slowed, but that the public must remain viligant.
"We must keep that firewall strong," she underscores.
Henry also encourages everyone to be kind to people who have to continue to work during the pandemic, such as those working in grocery stores, pharmacies, and in health care. She adds that isolation can be challenging, and that anyone who has an underlying illness should contact a doctor through virtual care. She mentions Anxiety Canada and Bounceback BC as useful resources for mental health.
Health Minister Adrian Dix states that the province has received a shipment of personal protective equipment (PPE), which has to be inspected before it can be distributed. He says that there are now 620 ventilators distributed at large hospitals. In addition, there are 33 newly-purchased critical ventilators ready to go, plus 55 new ventilators that arrived Monday morning from the National Emergency Supply. The province is in the process of inspecting the 55 new ventilators for usability.
Dix also notes that the Sikh community has launched a new blood drive with the Canadian Blood Services.
"We have to be 100 per cent all in," states Dix gravely. "We simply cannot let up now."
"These are key weeks for us."
Last week, Henry asked everyone to forgo all non-essential travel, particularly to small, remote communities around the province. She added that these communites may be overwhelmed and not have the resources to support people.
"In addition, we know that there's a very important time coming up for many people of different faiths," Henry said.
"We need to think about what we can do to support people in practicing their faith without having to have in-person gatherings."
In a previous briefing, Henry noted that people should consult the new online assesment tool if they aren't sure if they require further testing or assessment for COVID-19. She also underscored the importance of physical distancing, hand washing, covering your mouth if you cough, not touching your face and staying home if you are sick.
