Health Minister Adrian Dix provides an update on COVID-19 on June 25, 2020.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED / Province of B.C.
August 20, 2020 - 3:32 PM
New COVID-19 cases continue to rise with 80 in the last 24 hours across the province.
None of those were in the Interior Health region that was the focus of dozens of new cases since late June, leaving the Interior total at 411 while the provincial total has climbed to 4,825.
“We do continue to see new infections in British Columbia,” Dr. Réka Gustafson, deputy provincial health officer said at a COVID-19 update today, Aug. 20. “The number is relatively stable but we are continuing to see them.”
Of greatest concern are indoor gatherings, often where alcohol is being consumed and people are in close quarters and don’t necessarily know each other.
Most new cases are still in younger adults but there has been a slight increase in the 40 to 60 age group, which is being closely watched because they are more likely to have more serious symptoms, Gustafson said.
There has been a new outbreak at a Loblaws in the Fraser Health region where nine people tested positive. Dr. Gustafson did not say whether they were workers or customers.
An outbreak on Haida Gwaii has ended with all those infected now recovered.
There have been two new deaths in long term care facilities in Fraser Health, bringing the provincial total to 200.
There have been 2,532 cases so far in the Fraser Health region, 1,526 in Vancouver Coastal, 159 on Vancouver Island, 121 in the North and 75 non-residents.
There are 780 active cases in B.C. with 11 people in hospital, four of whom are in intensive care. There are 2,574 people who have recovered.
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