Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s provincial health officer, have issued the following joint statement regarding updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response in British Columbia:

“We are announcing 14 new cases, for a total of 1,575 cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia.

“Every health region in British Columbia has patients with COVID-19: 670 are in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 630 are in the Fraser Health region, 94 are in the Island Health region, 149 are in the Interior Health region and 32 are in the Northern Health region.

“We are saddened to report three new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 78 deaths in British Columbia. We offer our condolences to everyone who has lost their loved ones.

“There has been one new outbreak in the last day: the Kootenay Street Village long-term care facility in the Interior Health region. In total, 22 long-term care and assisted living facilities and one acute-care unit have outbreaks.

“Federal officials have announced 61 cases of COVID-19 at the Mission Institution (MI) federal correctional centre. Fraser Health officials continue to work with Correction Services Canada to manage this outbreak. There has been one death related to this outbreak. The BC Coroners Service is investigating as is standard process.

“To date, 983 people who had tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered and no longer require isolation.

“Of the total COVID-19 cases, 120 individuals are currently hospitalized, 56 of those are in intensive care, and the remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

“As we all continue to maintain safe physical distancing precautions and follow good hand hygiene, it is vital that we show care and compassion for those around us.

“This week, temporary foreign workers are arriving in our province to help sustain our food and agricultural supplies. We welcome them to our province as they complete 14 days of self-isolation.

“We have also put a new provincial health officer’s order in place to require agricultural employers to establish and maintain infection control plans. To support these efforts, we have authorized bylaw enforcement officers to review these plans to ensure appropriate measures are in place to protect the workers and our communities.

“Our shared efforts to flatten the curve make a difference. Each day that we hold the line, we are stronger and better for it.”

Learn More:

For information on how returning travellers can submit self-isolation plans, visit: gov.bc.ca/returningtravellers  

For mental-health and anxiety support visit: www.bouncebackbc.ca
Or: www.anxietycanada.com

For the latest medical updates, including case counts and information on how to protect yourself and your community, visit:  http://www.bccdc.ca/
Or follow @CDCofBC on Twitter.

For the provincial health officer’s orders, notices and guidance, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/phoguidance

For non-health related information, including financial, child care and education supports, travel, transportation and essential service information, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/covid19
Or call 1 888 COVID19 (1 888 268-4319) between 7:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. (Pacific time), seven days a week.

To use the online COVID-19 self-assessment tool or to download the app, visit:  https://bc.thrive.health/

For the latest videos and livestreaming of COVID-19 media availabilities, visit:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BCProvincialGovernment/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BCGovNews
Youtube: www.youtube.com/ProvinceofBC

For a French translation, visit: http://news.gov.bc.ca/files/2020.04.16_New_ExistingCasesCOVID-19_FR.pdf

For a Chinese translation, visit: http://news.gov.bc.ca/files/2020.04.16_New_ExistingCasesCOVID-19_CN.pdf

A backgrounder follows.