First new Covid case in Interior Health in over two weeks

Jun 12, 2020 | 3:44 PM Pete McIntyre

Interior Health has its first new Covid-19 case in more than two weeks.

The location of it is not released by the Health Ministry, but it’s one of 16 new cases in B.C. since Thursday.

The last time Interior Health had a new case was May 28.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says there are 187 active cases in B.C., including 12 people who are in hospital.

One more person has died of the virus, raising the provincial death toll to 168.

The victim resided in the Vancouver Coastal region and is the province’s first fatality since June 4.

There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks and five long-term care or assisted-living facilities continue to have active outbreaks.

There have been no new community outbreaks and public health teams continue to provide support for the six ongoing community outbreaks.

Dr. Henry said in a statement the requirements for the restaurant and bar sector have been adjusted in response to small clusters of new cases in businesses.

“The best way for us to avoid spreading the virus is to ensure everyone, employees and patrons, have the space to stay safe. Food service owners need to remember that protecting your employees and patrons requires layers of protection in the kitchen and in the dining area. Plans need to include such things as frequent hand washing, increased cleaning, using barriers in kitchens and dining areas, and giving lots of space between tables,” said Henry.

Henry advises patrons going to local establishments to complete a checklist before going out and when you arrive, asking: Are you healthy? Is your group small? Is the WorkSafeBC safety plan clearly posted? Are physical distancing measures and barriers in place?

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 922 cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 1,396 in the Fraser Health region, 130 in the Island Health region, 196 in the Interior Health region and 65 in the Northern Health region. This includes a data correction of one less case in the Northern Health region.