VICTORIA -- B.C. health officials announced just one new case of COVID-19 Friday, and one more death related to the virus.
The written update brought B.C.’s total number of cases to 2,632 since the pandemic began and total death toll to 167.
Friday’s victim was located in the Fraser Health region.
“We offer our condolences to everyone who has lost their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix in a joint statement.
While one new case of COVID-19 was announced Friday, B.C.’s total remains unchanged as one case that was counted in the Vancouver Coastal Health region has been removed following a reporting error by health officials.
Of those cases, 21 people were in hospital for treatment of COVID-19, including five people who required critical care.
Health officials say that no new outbreaks have appeared in the community or in health-care facilities over the past 24-hours. Additionally, an outbreak at the Berkley Care Centre in North Vancouver has now been declared over.
However, five outbreaks remain at long-term care and assisted-living facilities across the province and public health teams continue to assist in eight active community outbreaks.
The most recent community outbreak was announced on Thursday at the Beresford Warming Centre in Burnaby.
On Thursday, Henry said that three people at the facility had tested positive for the virus and that health officials were “hopeful that transmission had been limited.”
Health officials say that the first two weeks of the second phase of B.C.’s restart plan have so far been a success. But, Henry and Dix still urge caution in all communities across the province.
“As the recent B.C. COVID-19 modelling has shown us, we can safely reopen many businesses, return to in-class learning and gradually increase our social interactions, but we have to be cautious that we don’t go too far and risk a resurgence in cases,” said the pair.
“This means you should continue to assess your risks with every step and take precautions to protect yourself and those around you.”
Henry and Dix say that basic steps are still the most effective in curbing the spread of COVID-19.
Physical distancing, small gatherings and remaining home if you feel unwell remain the best means of protecting against the virus.
As of Friday, 2,272 people in B.C. have recovered from the virus, leaving 193 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Since the start of the pandemic, the Vancouver Coastal Health region has seen 908 cases of COVID-19, while the Fraser Health region has reported 1,335.
Meanwhile, the Island Health region has seen a total of 130 cases, the Interior Health region has confirmed 195 cases and the Northern Health region has reported 64.
