(Files by Catherine Garrett-MyPGNow)
It was a sobering weekend for COVID-19 in British Columbia.
Those words from Provincial Health Officer Doctor Bonnie Henry as the province reported a record 817 new cases of the virus over the weekend.
This includes 317 on Friday, which is considered a new single-day record for test positives.
Saturday saw an additional 293, and the time period between Sunday and Monday brought an additional 207.
British Columbia’s total amount of cases has reached 13,371 with 2,325 considered active.
Three people died from the novel coronavirus over the weekend.
In Northern Health, the region reported an additional 12 infections, bringing the region’s total to 383.
There are 31 new cases in Interior Health for 693 in total.
In an effort to curb transmission as numbers continue to grow, Doctor Henry implemented a new public health order limiting home gatherings.
Those gatherings are limited to just immediate households, with the addition of your ‘safe six’ only.
“For some large families, that may still be too many,” said Doctor Henry.
“It is now the expectation that people will wear a non-medical mask in public spaces,” she added.
Businesses are asked to review their COVID-19 public safety plans to include masks, if they haven’t already.
Meanwhile, two schools have been closed for the duration of a COVID-19 incubation period, including an institution linked to an outbreak in Kelowna.
The second school is located in Fraser Health.
Of the active cases, 77 people are in hospital and 26 people are in intensive care.
5,077 people are under active public health monitoring.
Health officials continue to respond to 21 outbreaks in long term care, acute care and assisted living.
There has been one new community outbreak in Surrey.
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