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B.C. continues upward climb of COVID-19 cases

The province also reports no new deaths for the sixth day in a row
bonnie
B.C. Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry

The number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise in B.C., with the province adding 53 new cases Friday (August 7) compared to a day earlier.

No new deaths have been reported for the seventh consecutive day in the province.

The latest figures from the Ministry of Health bring the provincial total to 3,934 since the start of the pandemic, while 386 of those cases remain active.

Eleven individuals remain hospitalized as a result, four of them in intensive care.

The 53 new cases represent a continued upward trend for the province during the summer.

The province reported 47 new cases Thursday, and a day earlier reported 146 new cases between July 31 and August 4.

"As we see new COVID-19 hot spots emerge and the new cases creep up in every health authority, we have to keep our firewall strong. Like a wildfire, COVID-19 has the potential to rapidly burn out of control and we need to put out these flare-ups,” B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry said in a joint statement.

The pair did not hold a briefing Friday.

Of the province’s total number of cases, 1,167 cases have been in the Vancouver Coastal Health region; 2,069 in the Fraser Health region; 147 in the Island Health region; 389 in the Interior Health region; 93 in the Northern Health region and 69 cases of people who reside outside Canada.

"There are no new community outbreaks. However, there continue to be community exposure events throughout the province and on flights into and out of British Columbia,” Dix and Henry said.

"Now is not the time to relax and let down our guard. Let's keep our bubbles small, use our layers of protection and give people the space to stay safe.”

Fraser Health officials confirmed earlier in the day a staff member at the Derby Manor long-term care facility had tested positive for COVID-19.

There are currently five outbreaks at long-term care or assisted-living facilities, and an outbreak at one acute-care facility.

—With a file from Chuck Chiang

torton@biv.com

@reporton