VICTORIA -- B.C. health officials announced one new death related to the COVID-19 pandemic Tuesday, and 13 new cases of the virus.
The update brought B.C.’s death toll to 170 and total number of coronavirus cases to 2,835 since the pandemic began.
The latest victim was a resident of a long-term care home in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, say health officials.
“Our condolences go out to the family of this person,” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
There remain 174 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C. Of those cases, 16 people are in hospital for treatment of the virus, seven of whom require intensive care.
Health officials say that no new health-care or community outbreaks have appeared over the past 24-hours.
However, seven active outbreaks continue at health-care facilities across the province, including six at long-term care facilities and one at an acute care unit.
The majority of COVID-19 cases continue to be found in the Lower Mainland. The Vancouver Coastal Health region has seen 960 cases since the pandemic began while the Fraser Health region has reported 1,480.
Meanwhile, the Island Health region has confirmed 131 cases of the virus, the Interior Health region has reported 199 and the Northern Health region has seen 65.
On Tuesday, B.C. health officials also outlined the latest modelling data on the spread of COVID-19 in the province.
The most recent data shows that the province has been reopening safety amid the pandemic. However, B.C. still hovers near the threshold where transmission could resurge.
Health officials say that personal health practices, like physical distancing, avoiding large gatherings and staying home if ill are the best ways to curb the spread of COVID-19.
“What we do now is still as important as ever,” said Health Minister Adrian Dix.
“We’re counting on each other, trusting each other and we must continue to do what’s working.”
Tuesday’s update marked the 100th COVID-19 media briefing that Henry and Dix have provided during the pandemic.
