VICTORIA -- B.C. health officials announced 30 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the provincial total to 3,328 cases of the novel coronavirus since the pandemic began.
B.C.'s death toll from the virus remains at 189, with no new deaths reported Tuesday.
One of the 30 newly announced cases is an epidemiologically linked case, meaning no COVID-19 test was performed.
There are now 266 active cases of the virus in the province, an increase of 13 cases since Monday. Of those, 15 people are in hospital, including three in intensive care.
There were no new health-care facility outbreaks to report Tuesday, though outbreaks continue at one long-term care centre and two acute-care centres.
Provincial health officials warned in a statement Tuesday that B.C. could easily see a resurgence of the virus if public health protocols are not followed.
"Here in B.C., our curve is trending upward, and we need to bend our curve back down to where it belongs," said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix.
"Many of the new cases are a result of community transmission from an increase in social interactions this summer," the health officials said. "This trend is a concern, but we can turn this trend around."
Dix and Henry said British Columbians should only spend time with people they know, keep a safe distance from others and wear a mask when physical distancing is difficult.
"We also need to support contact tracing efforts by paying attention to where we go and who we see, and always, without exception, staying home if we are feeling at all unwell," Dix and Henry said.
Most of B.C.'s cases of the virus have been in the Lower Mainland area, including 1,731 cases in the Fraser Health region and 1,043 cases in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.
The Vancouver Island region has reported 140 cases, a two-case decrease from Monday due to a data correction.
Elsewhere in the province, the Interior Health region has recorded 291 cases and the Northern Health region has confirmed 69 cases since the pandemic began.
Another 54 confirmed cases in the province have been found among people who reside outside of Canada.
A total of 2,873 people in B.C. have fully recovered from the virus since the pandemic began.