VICTORIA -- Forty-seven more people have been infected with COVID-19 in British Columbia, health officials announced Thursday, bringing the provincial total to 3,881 cases since the pandemic began.

The 47 new cases include one epidemiologically linked case, meaning a COVID-19 test was not conducted to prove the presence of the coronavirus.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said there were no new deaths related to the virus Thursday.

The number of active cases, however, continues to climb in B.C., with 371 cases in the province on Thursday, compared to 351 a day prior. Of those, 11 people are in hospital, including five in intensive care.

"Obviously they are higher than I would like them to be," Henry said of the current case numbers. "But we know where these transmission events are happening and overall the transmission we have seen across B.C. is low and that is because of the measures we have taken."

New COVID-19 cases have been reported aboard an American vessel in B.C. waters. "There have been a number of the 10 crewmembers who have tested positive," said Henry, adding that the Fraser Health authority and Transport Canada and following up with those who have tested positive and their contacts.

Henry said there has also been an exposure event at Lions Bay Beach Park, north of Vancouver. Anyone who was at the park between July 26 and July 31 is asked to limit their time with others, monitor for symptoms and contact 811 to get tested if symptoms appear.

There were two new outbreaks reported Thursday at health-care centres in the Vancouver Coastal health region, bringing the total number of active outbreaks in the health-care system to five. Four of those are in long-term care centres and one is in an acute care facility.

The provincial health officer addressed parents concerned about sending their kids back to school next month, saying the "cost of keeping our schools closed is too high."

"We can open our schools safely," Henry said. "We will be taking many measures to ensure that we reduce risk of transmission in our school settings."  

The health officer added that "we have not had any children under the age of 19 in this country who have died from this virus."

Most of B.C.'s confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been located in the Lower Mainland, with 2,045 cases in the Fraser Health region and 1,143 in Vancouver Coastal Health.

Elsewhere in the province, there have been 385 cases in Interior Health, 146 in Island Health and 93 in Northern Health.

There have also been 69 cases involving people who live outside of Canada.

A total of 3,315 people who have had the virus in B.C. are now considered fully recovered.