B.C.’s top health officials will provide an update on the latest infections of COVID-19 in the province on Tuesday, May 19 at 3 p.m. PT.
B.C. has recorded 16 new COVID-19 cases in the 48-hour period between Saturday and Monday, as the province prepares to enter Phase 2 of its pandemic response with a gradual reopening of businesses and services.
Speaking in a daily briefing on Monday, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said there have been two more deaths from the illness in the province.
Phase 2 of B.C.’s restart plan kicks off today and Henry says the latest guidelines for businesses that are allowed to begin reopening are now available on the province’s website.
Henry says each business must have a COVID-19 safety plan in place that customers, employees and public health officials may access.
COVID-19 cases
B.C. reported 16 new cases of COVID-19 between Saturday and midday Monday, bringing the province’s total to 2,444.
Henry says 335 of those cases are active, with 47 people in hospital and 12 in critical or intensive care.
144 deaths
On Monday, it was announced that two more people have died after contracting the novel coronavirus, raising the province’s death toll to 143.
Henry says there are no new community outbreaks, but there are ongoing outbreaks in 14 long-term care facilities with one outbreak declared over at the Dufferin Care Centre in the Fraser health region.
To date, 1,966 people have recovered from the disease.
Henry warned that as the province begins to reopen, the potential for a flare-up does go up.
“For many the transition brings anticipation — but it also brings further apprehension and anxiety as schools and businesses look to open once again,” she said.
“We are still learning the new ways of safe social interactions and doing things we’ve never had to do before. And that itself can cause new anxiety and concern.”
