Another person has died as a result of COVID-19, B.C. provincial health officer said.
The total number of cases has also grown to 271, a 40-person increase since Wednesday. There have now been eight deaths in B.C. and this latest is another one associated with the Lynn Valley Care Home in North Vancouver.
Dr. Bonnie Henry said the last few days have seen a B次元官网网址渄ramatic changeB次元官网网址� in how life is being lived in B.C.
B次元官网网址淭his is not optional. This is whatB次元官网网址檚 going to protect us in the next few weeks. The importance cannot be minimized,B次元官网网址� Henry said.
B次元官网网址淭his is not a normal time.B次元官网网址�
Henry encouraged people to continue going outside, in small family groups, but to continue social distancing unless you are required to self-isolate.
B次元官网网址淚 think that is important for all of our mental and physical health,B次元官网网址� she said. People who are expected to self-isolate should not go further than their yards, Henry noted.
Henry said although she was not banning professions like physiotherapists, doctors or dentists from operating, they should practice social distancing.
Older people especially, she said, should not be going to their providers.
While the province is not mandating that daycares shut down, Henry said most kids should be at home, along with their parents.
Henry said she understand this was a frightening time and a difficult time B次元官网网址� especially for victims of domestic violence, who could now be stuck at home with their abusers.
Shelters, she said, are exempt from the ban on gatherings of 50 or more people.
The moves from grocery stores to restrict hours and the number of each item people can buy are B次元官网网址渞easonable measures,B次元官网网址� as is the B次元官网网址渟eniorB次元官网网址檚 hourB次元官网网址� a lot of shops have brought in.
However, B次元官网网址渨eB次元官网网址檝e been assuredB次元官网网址� there is not a problem with the essential materials that we need,B次元官网网址� Henry said.
The key, Health Minister Adrian Dix said, is not to hoard items.
B次元官网网址淲e need to buy what we need at a particular time,B次元官网网址� he said
Henry said the 271 cases break down to, by health authority:
- 142 Vancouver Coastal Health
- 81 Fraser Health
- 22 Island Health
- 12 Interior Health
- 4 Northern Health
The province said its self-assessment tool has been used 1.15 million times since it launched earlier this week. The tool can be found at: .
WEDNESDAY UPDATE:
More to come.
