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

“Today, we are reporting 444 new cases of COVID-19, including five epi-linked cases, for a total of 47,510 cases in British Columbia.

“There are 9,481 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. There are 357 individuals currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 84 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

“A total of 36,094 people who tested positive have recovered.

“Since we last reported, we have had 79 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 256 new cases in the Fraser Health region, nine in the Island Health region, 78 in the Interior Health region, 22 in the Northern Health region and no new cases of people who reside outside of Canada.

“Since the start of immunizations, 4,108 people have received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in B.C., and today, vaccine clinics got underway in the Island Health, Interior Health and Northern Health regions, as well as those in Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal.

“Vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna have also provided guidance on how to safely transport the approved vaccines. This means that as deliveries increase in the coming weeks, the vaccine will increasingly be available in more locations.

“There have been 12 new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 777 deaths in British Columbia. We offer our condolences to everyone who has lost their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have had two new health-care facility outbreaks at the rehabilitation unit at Laurel Place and at a further acute-care unit at Surrey Memorial Hospital. There has also been a new community outbreak at Highline Farms in the Fraser Health region.

“Community transmission of COVID-19 continues to occur across our province, which means the risk remains high for all of us.

“Because community spread continues, even if you have been doing all you can to protect yourself and those around you, it is important to know the symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested if symptoms develop.

“In particular, if you develop a cough, a loss of sense of smell or taste, fever or chills, or have difficulty breathing, contact your health-care professional or call 811 to get tested right away. Testing sites will be open over the holidays.

“We also have to remember the virus spreads quickly, but shows up slowly, which is why asymptomatic testing doesn’t eliminate our risk and cannot be relied on to keep us safe.

“By staying local, avoiding all non-essential travel and using our layers of protection, we can reduce the potential for a surge in new cases two weeks from now and keep us on the path of a safer and healthier 2021 for everyone in B.C.”

Learn More:

For updated provincial health officer's (PHO) orders and new guidance:

For details on new restrictions, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support/restrictions

For updated PHO orders, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/office-of-the-provincial-health-officer/current-health-topics/covid-19-novel-coronavirus

Find out where to get tested:

If you are experiencing symptoms, find a collection centre near you to get tested: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/testing

For mental health, anxiety and other supports:

For mental health and anxiety support, visit: www.bouncebackbc.ca
Or: www.anxietycanada.com
Or visit the BCCDC for further supports: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/about-covid-19/mental-well-being-during-covid-19

For more information on overdoses, visit: https://www.stopoverdose.gov.bc.ca

People in BC experiencing violence can access VictimLink, a toll-free, confidential multilingual service available 24/7 by calling or texting 1 800 563-0808 or emailing: VictimLinkBC@bc211.ca

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.

COVID-19 exposure events, updates and information by health authority:

BCCDC (flights, work sites, etc.): http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/public-exposures
Fraser Health: fraserhealth.ca/covid19exposure
Interior Health: https://news.interiorhealth.ca/news/public-exposures/
Island Health: https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/covid-19/outbreaks-and-exposures
Northern Health: https://www.northernhealth.ca/health-topics/outbreaks-and-exposures
Vancouver Coastal: http://www.vch.ca/covid-19/public-exposures

For the latest medical updates, including case counts, prevention, risks and testing, visit: http://www.bccdc.ca/
Or follow @CDCofBC on Twitter.

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

A backgrounder follows.