Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is thanking British Columbians for doing their part.
In today’s update, she said she knows some may be thinking “this is all over” and that they can now relax and go back to life pre-COVID.
“Until effective treatment or a vaccine is available, we know that this virus is going to circulate in our communities,” Dr. Henry said.
“It is all of us who need to work together to minimize that… to minimize the impact so that we can continue to open up activities.”
She said we’ve seen elsewhere around the world, including in the United States and other places, that things can quickly escalate once again if we let our guard down too far.
“We have to keep the virus low and slow over the next coming months. We need to do this by minimizing the number of cases we have, and all of us play a part in that.”
Dr. Henry says B.C. has been trying to find that fine balance of opening up as much as possible, both for our social health, our physical health and our economic health in the province.
“Every day we learn more about this virus and the precautions that we need to take to keep things in that fine balance.”
According to Dr. Henry, the evidence is clear: “the more layers of protection we have, the better we are able to open up and to continue going in our communities.”
B.C. reported 20 new COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours, bringing the total in the province to 3,028.
Going forward, Dr. Henry said the provincial case count will now include non-residents of Canada, such as visitors who became ill during their stay or temporary foreign workers.
No new cases were announced on Vancouver Island, keeping its total at 133.
There are currently 175 active cases across the province, and 2,667 people who have had the virus are now fully recovered.
This leaves the recovery rate for British Columbia at 88 per cent.
