(Files by Justin Madu)
5 more British Columbians have passed away due to COVID-19 as the provincial death toll reaches 140.
Four of the five deaths occurred in the Fraser Health region, with the final one being reported in Vancouver Coastal Health.
However, there are only 15 new cases throughout British Columbia, as the total climbs to 2,407.
No new cases have been reported in Island, Interior, Vancouver Coastal, or Northern Health.
Furthermore, hospitalizations continue to fall as only 51 people remain in hospital, 12 of which are in acute care.
Community transmission continues to be an issue, with one new acute-care outbreak occurring at Abbotsford Regional Hospital.
Two new cases have been linked with a new community outbreak at Oppenheimer Group, a fruit and vegetable processing plant in Coquitlam.
In a joint statement Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health Adrian Dix encouraged British Columbians to remain vigilant:
“We must continue to be measured and thoughtful moving forward in our COVID-19 recovery. The new outbreaks demonstrate that there continues to be risk of COVID-19 in our communities.”
“We want a strong start, and to do that we need to stay local, stay apart and stay 100% committed to working together.”
Finally, there are 359 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 79% of those diagnosed with the virus have fully recovered.
The breakdown by Health Authority is as follows:
- 878 in Vancouver Coastal Health (no change)
- 1,149 in Fraser Health (+15)
- 126 in Island Health (no change)
- 181 in Interior Health (no change)
- 58 in Northern Health (no change)