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:

“Today, we are announcing 22 new cases, for a total of 2,623 cases in British Columbia.

“There are 214 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 2,243 people who tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered.

“Of the total COVID-19 cases, 32 individuals are hospitalized, seven of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

“Every health region in British Columbia has patients with COVID-19. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 905 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 1,332 in the Fraser Health region, 127 in the Island Health region, 195 in the Interior Health region and 64 in the Northern Health region.

“There has been one new COVID-19 related death in the Fraser Health region, for a total of 166 deaths in British Columbia. We offer our condolences to everyone who has lost their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks and two outbreaks have now been declared over at Cottage-Worthington Pavilion and The Cedars in Mission. In total, six long-term care or assisted-living facilities continue to have active outbreaks.

“Public health teams also continue to provide support for the seven ongoing community outbreaks.

“COVID-19 continues to bring challenges for all of us, and in the face of this hurdle, British Columbians have continued to stand together while staying apart.

“Racialized communities face obstacles that others to do not, and we have seen British Columbians proudly stand up and speak out against racism.

“Exercising our right to peaceful demonstration is extremely important, and equally important is keeping our communities, loved ones and friends safe during this pandemic.

“Whether going to the grocery store, seeing friends on a patio or attending a peaceful demonstration, the same rules for safe physical distancing apply.

“Be mindful of the risks you are taking and continue to follow the provincial health officer’s order to limit gatherings to no more than 50 people.

“Consider alternative ways to peacefully demonstrate, as we have seen elsewhere. Gather in smaller numbers in multiple locations, maintain a safe physical distance from those around you and use a non-medical cloth mask for the brief periods when in closer contact to others.

“Let’s stand united across our province, our nation and around the world. Let’s continue to work together and learn from others to keep our firewall strong and importantly, use this time to spread the message of respect and tolerance rather than spreading the virus.” 

Learn More:

For more information about BC’s Restart Plan, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/restartbc

For B.C.’s surgical renewal plan, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/conducting-health-research-evaluation/reports-publications

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

For guidance and information on self-isolation and self-monitoring, including how to isolate if you live with others, visit: 
http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/self-isolation

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

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

To learn where, when and how people with symptoms can be tested, visit:
http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/testing

The COVID-19 self-assessment app, which includes details about where, when and how to be tested, can be downloaded here: https://bc.thrive.health/

To learn more about Fair PharmaCare, including coverage, how to request an income review and the monthly deductible payment option, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Register_for_Fair_PharmaCare.pdf

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.

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 Chinese translation: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/2020.06.3_New_ExistingCasesCOVID-19_CN.pdf

A backgrounder follows.