Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 53 new cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia today (Wednesday), bringing the total number of cases to 1,066.
One new death has occurred, for a cumulative provincial total of 25.
142 in hospital, 67 in ICU across the province
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) April 1, 2020
606 cases have now recovered, leaving 460 cases still active in British Columbia at the moment.
This means that 57% of COVID-19 cases within the province have recovered fully.
Of the 1,066 cases there are:
497 in Vancouver Coastal Health (an increase of 21)
367 in Fraser Health (an increase of 19)
114 in Interior Health (an increase of 7)
72 in Island Health (an increase of 5)
16 in Northern Health (an increase of 1)
Minister of Health Adrian Dix spoke on hospital occupancy.
Adrian Dix speaking now about acute care – 4192 empty beds, 61% of capacity.
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) April 1, 2020
Citizens were again reminded that medical masks are not proven to prevent illness in the wearer, but may help limit the spread of COVID-19 in asymptomatic patients.
“The supply of medical masks and respirators is tenuous, and needs to be reserved for our healthcare workers,” said Henry.
Dr. Henry clarified that she is not explicitly against the use of non-medical cloth masks, but emphasized that physical distancing and handwashing are proven methods of limiting the spread of the virus.
Homemade masks: Be careful when you are taking them on and off. – henry
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) April 1, 2020
Henry clarified that over-testing may lead to concerns of providing false-negatives to individuals who are only experiencing mild symptoms which are often associated with early stages of COVID-19.
is testing a scarce resource situation? re: testing. “Not really,” Henry says early on we had a capacity issue, but Henry says the dramatic increase proves “We are testing the right people.”
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) April 1, 2020
She added she believes testing is being focused on the areas where it is the most necessary.
Henry also said that any at-home testing kits currently available have not been validated, and are susceptible to providing incorrect results.
“There is no at-home test that is reliable,” she stated.
Long-term care facilities continue to be sites of concern, according to Dix and Henry’s joint statement, as the pair explained:
“We continue to see new cases in long-term care and assisted-living facilities. There are now COVID-19 cases in 21 facilities in B.C., all in the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health regions.”
Additionally, they re-stated that all travellers arriving in British Columbia must immediately comply with federal quarantine orders.
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