VANCOUVER -- B.C. has 40 new cases of COVID-19, and five more deaths, provincial health officials reported Friday.
The province now has a total of 1,410 cases.
Two of the people who died lived in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, while three were from the Fraser Health region, the province reported.
The majority of B.C.’s cases are in the Vancouver Coastal Health (629 cases) and Fraser Health (539) regions. Island Health has 84 cases, Interior Health has 132 cases and 26 cases are in the Northern Health region.
Health officials have been most concerned about outbreaks at long-term care homes — at one point there were over 20 outbreaks at different care homes in the Metro Vancouver area.
In Friday’s update, health officials said there are no new outbreaks at care homes to report. There continue to be 20 care homes that have ongoing outbreaks, with 242 cases.
A total of 879 people have now fully recovered from COVID-19. When it comes to hospitalization numbers, 128 people are in hospital with the illness — down from 132 people on Thursday — and 65 of those are sick enough to be in intensive care units.
The new cases update was sent by press release Friday, but Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s provincial health officer, will be back in front of the cameras on Saturday, when she will deliver an update at 12 p.m.
No new information will be released on Sunday, and the next update after that is expected to be on Monday at 1:30 p.m.
Dix and Henry have said they are seeing B.C.’s curve of new cases “bending” in recent weeks.
But they are continuing to report new cases and deaths every day, and they have repeatedly cautioned British Columbians to not let up on taking precautions such as staying home as much as possible, maintaining a two metre distance from others when out, frequent hand-washing and avoiding touching your face.
As the Easter long weekend begins, Henry and Dix have also with British Columbians to stay home and not travel to second homes or vacation destinations.
In their press release, Henry and Dix reminded British Columbians that if they are returning to the province from travel, they must self-isolate for 14 days and complete a self-isolation plan.
