VANCOUVER -- British Columbia has recorded another 737 cases of COVID-19 and 11 more deaths from the disease, health officials said in their final update of the week.
That puts the total number of cases identified in B.C. since the start of the pandemic at 40,797, and the provincial death toll at 598.
The number of actives cases climbed slightly to 9,589, breaking the provincial record set on Thursday. That includes 342 patients in hospital, 87 of whom are in intensive care.
Friday's update from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix also includes four new outbreaks, including one at a Christian school in Surrey that has resulted in 30 positive cases so far.
The other three outbreaks were declared at Agassiz Seniors Community, Hilton Villa Seniors Community and St. Michael's Centre. Three other health-care facility outbreaks, at Veterans Memorial Lodge, Amica White Rock and Burnaby Hospital, are now over.
Heading into the weekend, Henry and Dix urged British Columbians to continue following the province's public health orders to protect themselves and their loved ones.
"This weekend, take a step back from the usual holiday rush. Take the time to get outside and enjoy a quieter weekend with those in your household. Show your loved ones you care by staying local and staying away right now," the health officials said in a joint written statement.
"We want to ensure we are moving into this stage of our COVID-19 response in the best position possible, which means working together to make sure we don’t fall back as we move forward with our immunization program."
Of the nearly 41,000 cases recorded in B.C. so far, 29,598 people have recovered. There are currently 12,008 people under active health monitoring after being exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19.
