UPDATE:
B.C.’s provincial health officer has unofficially called off large events and gatherings for the summer because of COVID-19.
Speaking to media this afternoon, Henry says large weddings and gatherings like the PNE, for example, will not be safe to hold because of COVID-19 spreading in the community.
“Realistically, we will not be having those big events where people gather together this summer. That is a much riskier prospect than ever before.”
She says her advice is for people to “think small,” and consider holding smaller-scale events virtually instead of in-person.
Meanwhile, there have been 29 new cases of COVID-19 reported in B.C. since yesterday as well as three more deaths.
Henry says all three deaths are at long-term care homes in the Lower Mainland.
None of the new cases reported today are in the Interior Health Authority, and the region still has 150 confirmed cases.
There have now been 1,647 cases of the virus reported in B.C. and 81 deaths. Henry says 987 cases are now considered recovered, which is 60 per cent of the reported cases.
Henry reiterates a point she made yesterday that we are not at a point yet where we can let our guard down for following rules and restrictions that are aimed to slow the spread of the virus.
“The storm is still raging,” Henry says, saying we are still “in the eye of the storm” for the risk of community spread.
She says none of the restrictions in place in B.C. will be lifted in the next two weeks, and reiterates another point from yesterday, saying at this rate health officials will look to ease, not lift, some restrictions in about a month from now.