B.C. has the highest number of COVID-19 cases per capital in Canada, according to federal data for Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (Public Health Agency of Canada)

B.C. has the highest number of COVID-19 cases per capital in Canada, according to federal data for Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (Public Health Agency of Canada)

B.C. has highest number of active COVID-19 cases per capita, federal data shows

B.C. currently has 1,803 active cases after weeks of COVID-19 spikes in the province

  • Sep. 21, 2020 12:00 a.m.

After being praised for its COVID-19 response in the early days of the pandemic, B.C. has the dubious distinction of having the most active cases per capita at the start of the week.

The province has 36 active cases per 100,000 people, above the Canadian average of 26. In second place is Quebec at 35 per 100,000, and Alberta in third with 33 cases per capita.

B.C. currently has 1,803 active cases after weeks of COVID-19 spikes in the province. Health officials have asked British Columbians to “stick to six” of the same people in their social group as their pandemic bubble. B.C. has averaged more than 100 new cases each day over the past week, with 8,208 total cases and 227 deaths as of Monday afternoon.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry also issued an updated order recently, requiring nightclubs and stand-alone banquet halls to shut down and imposing a 10 p.m. limit on liquor service at restaurants and bars to keep transmission under control as students headed back to school this month.

The province does not update its COVID-19 figures over the weekend so a three-day total is expected to be announced by health officials Monday (Sept. 21) afternoon.

READ MORE: 3 new deaths due to COVID-19 in B.C., 139 new cases as of Friday

READ MORE: B.C. releases details of $1.5B economic recovery plan, $660M in business tax incentives

READ MORE: B.C. to begin publicly listing COVID-19 school exposure events


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katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

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