B.C. COVID update Saturday: 29 new cases, three more deaths; orders could be relaxed by mid-May

British Columbia continues to see minimal new cases of COVID-19, with 29 new cases since Friday, along with three more deaths.

It brings the province’s case total to 1,647 and death toll to 81.

There are no new cases in Interior Health since Friday with the total at 150.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry talked on Saturday about where we are as a province on the COVID front.

“We really are in a hurricane, in a major storm, but we have made considerable progress in our province and it’s because of what everybody has done together. We have listened to the orders and restrictions that we’ve put in place,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer.

Henry said the easing of restrictions, when that happens, will be gradual, slow and thoughtful.

“We don’t want all of the sacrifices that were have been doing across the province to be for naught We need to be sure when we open things up we do it in a measured, thoughtful way that protects all of us while opening up our economy and health system,” Henry added.

Henry said they are planning for what happens if they see continued improvement.

“We are not going to be taking any measures for the next two weeks, but we are planning for what it’s going to look like when we get to that point — probably in the middle of May — where we are able to take those actions that help increase our social connections, increase our industrial and business connections and opening up our health care system,” said Henry.

Henry stated big events where people gather, like large weddings, parades and the PNE, are not likely to happen this summer.

“That is a much riskier prospect than ever before. We do not have the enough community immunity to protect everyone and allow that type of event to happen.”

She says people should “think small’ when it comes to planning events like weddings, graduations and anniversaries that don’t involve large gatherings.

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British Columbia COVID-19 update as of Saturday April 18 at 12 p.m.:

New cases: 29

Total cases: 1,647

Cases by health region:

Vancouver Coastal: 686

Fraser: 680

Vancouver Island: 97

Interior: 150 (same as Friday)

Northern: 34

There are no new long term care outbreaks.

Mission Correctional facility has 70 cases of COVID-19 including 60 inmates

There are no new cases at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver, still just one case, and no new cases among foreign farm workers at a nursery in West Kelowna.

115 people with COVID-19 are in hospital with 54 in critical or intensive care

Three more people have died, all in long term care for a total of 81

987 people are fully recovered.