VANCOUVER -- No one in British Columbia has died from COVID-19 since the last update from health officials on Friday, but 29 more people have tested positive for the virus.
Monday's update from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, which also includes one newly confirmed "epi-linked" case, brings the total number of infections identified since the start of the pandemic to 2,659. The death toll remains at 167.
On another positive note, Henry said the outbreaks at Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry, Superior Poultry and at the New Vista Society, a care home in Burnaby, have been declared over.
That leaves four active outbreaks in long-term care homes, and several others in the community that health workers are still trying to contain.
Officials said only one of the new infections that was identified over the weekend was associated with a health care outbreak. Between residents and staff, those outbreaks account for 558 of all cases recorded in the province.
While there were a significant number of new infections discovered – potentially part of the uptick that modelling predicted would come after B.C. entered the second phase of its pandemic response – they were also outpaced by recoveries.
Another 37 people were cleared of COVID-19 over the weekend, bringing the total to 2,309 recoveries. That leaves 183 active cases, including 16 that are serious enough to require hospitalization. Of those, four people are in critical care or intensive care units.
Officials said Monday's updated total of 2,659 cases is slightly lower than would be expected due to a data correction involving the number of cases in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.
Watch an American Sign Language translation of the news conference on the provincial government's YouTube page.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Kendra Mangione and Ian Holliday
