Health officials in BC are scheduled to give a written update on COVID-19 in the province on Friday afternoon.
The announcement follows a total of 761 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the province to 56,015.
There are currently 6,349 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Additionally, there are 372 individuals currently hospitalized with the virus, 74 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
A total of 8,849 people are under active public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases, and there have been eight new COVID-19-related deaths, for a total of 970 deaths in BC.
To date, 43,274 people who tested positive for COVID-19 have now recovered.
During Thursday’s live update, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced that BC would extend its province-wide COVID-19 ban on gatherings and events until midnight of February 5, 2021.
The orders, which include a ban on indoor and outdoor private gatherings, community events, travel, and variants of adult sports, first came into effect on November 19, 2020.
“In the last days, we have seen a slight increase in our cases and our curve is trending upward,” she said. “Right now, we have to hold the line.”
Henry added that the orders allow essential workplaces, schools, and the healthcare system to “continue to stay open.”
“We know that transmission is less likely to occur in these controlled environments that have many layers of protection in place. It’s what we do outside of these environments and in our homes and workplaces that is a concern,” she said.
BC also announced changes in how it reports daily COVID-19 case data in an effort to streamline the process through additional automation.
