B.C.’s provincial health officer says we are getting to a point where we can “open up” based on a slowed growth of COVID-19 cases.

The province today has reported 50 new cases in the past two days, as well as three new deaths from the virus. The locations of those deaths and new cases were not immediately clear.

Dr. Bonnie Henry says the majority of new cases are coming from known outbreaks.

And she says increased “surveillance testing” has helped officials find people who are positive for COVID-19, and she says the vast majority of those cases are linked to known outbreaks.

“That safe physical distancing and self-isolation requirements have slowed the rate of transmission, and we’re now seeing a decrease in numbers. We are getting close to that time where we can start to open up,” Henry says.

“However, to ensure we have the public health teams, that are able to quickly undertake that contact-tracing, that connection. And connecting people who are positive, and others who have been exposed, so that we can isolate… to break those chains of transmission.”

Meanwhile, there are 97 people in hospital with COVID-19 across B.C., which is an increase of six people from Saturday. There are also 36 people in intensive care, which is down from 41 two days ago.

There have been 1,998 reported cases and 103 deaths from COVID-19, and 1,190 of those cases are now considered recovered.