B.C. health officials are reporting the first death in this province from COVID-19 in more than a week.

The province announced one new death and 32 new cases over the past three days. That includes one new case in the Interior Health region.

There are now 182 active cases in the province, which is four more than Friday. Fourteen people are in hospital with the virus and six people are in critical care.

In total, there have been 169 deaths in B.C. from COVID-19 and 2,822 reported cases.

There 2,471 cases considered recovered, which is more than 87 per cent.

Health Minister Adrian Dix reminds that outside of our borders, the virus is much more active.

“Yesterday, the World Health Organization reported the largest single-day increas in COVID-19 cases in the world, that’s 180,020 cases. On June 21st, long after the beginning of the pandemic. In the United States, Oregon, California and Arizona broke records for the largest single-day increases in COVID cases.”

Meanwhile, Dix adds that our most common U.S. neighbor, Washington state, has reported 2,846 new cases of COVID-19 in the past week as well as one new death, compared to 83 cases and one new death in B.C.

“People have made tremendous sacrifices to get where we are, but this is a worldwide pandemic which requires, as well, a worldwide response. And we are in it together. I think what it tells us is, as we open up our society as well, the need to maintained physical distancing is increased, not decreased. And that physical distancing saves lives. Especially now.”