B.C. health officials are reporting 366 new cases today spread out over the past weekend.
It includes 16 new cases in the Interior Health Authority, which is now up to 508 cases since the pandemic began. Between Friday and Saturday there were 121 cases. There were 117 cases between Saturday and Sunday and 128 from Sunday into Monday for a provincial total of 8,208 cases.
In the Interior, there are 34 active cases with one person in hospital. Province-wide, active cases are up to a record 1,987 with 60 people in hospital, of which 21 are in critical care.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is continuing to ask people to remain vigilant as the province continues to navigate the pandemic.
“As we head into fall, [remember] to set your personal safety plans for the season ahead. How you are going back to work, back to school, back to other activities, and where you need to pull back,” she added. “The actions each of us takes today will help ensure that we are going to get through the next few months safely.”
“For your household bubble, getting close with hugs and kisses is absolutely fine. For classmates and colleagues who you see most days, the distance may not need to be as great as long as you keep those interactions in a managed way. For your safe six friends, closer is okay, but not physical contact.
She says if you’re in regular contact with someone who is at a greater risk of COVID-19, you should continue to keep your bubble small.
“For people you don’t know or see regularly, maintaining that two metres is extremely important.”
There were four additional deaths over the weekend, with a further 5,972 people now considered to have recovered.
Henry on Upcoming Election
Henry says NDP leader John Horgan did not need to ask her for permission ahead of calling an election next month, noting that more information on how the 2020 Provincial Election will be held safely will be released on Tuesday morning.
“I was not asked for advice on timing of an election,” she said. “That is part of the political process that I am not part of, so I would not expect to have been asked.”
She says she will meet daily with deputy health minister Stephen Brown, and they both will be in contact with incumbent health minister, Adrian Dix, and Carole James, the incumbent Finance Minister who is not running for re-election.
James will be managing the government during the election campaign.
