578 British Columbians currently infected with COVID-19

In the past 24 hours, 78 more British Columbians have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of active confirmed cases to 578.

Nine of those people are in hospital, four of whom are in intensive care, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry confirmed in a news conference Thursday (Aug. 13). There have been no new deaths, with the total holding at 196 lives lost.

There have been 4,274 confirmed cases in B.C. since January. About 3,500 have fully recovered, or roughly 81 per cent.

Through contact tracing, 1,878 people are in self-isolation due to being exposed to someone else infected with the respiratory illness.

Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix spent Thursday’s briefing sharing new modelling projections, which shows a current trend of the province recording around 75 new cases each day – a trend that could continue into September.

B.C.’s Health Minister urged those thinking of attending large events where social distancing isn’t possible to re-think their plans, and warned bylaw officers would be out as enforcement.

Adrian Dix says parties may not be immediately shut down but there would be consequences for those found flouting the rules.

“(Private parties) have been a significant source of problems,” he said at a press conference on Thursday.

“I have to say this, if you’re thinking of organizing a party — especially one involving alcohol, where there’s so specific limits on distancing that you’re putting in place — you should not do so.”

He warned that environmental health and bylaw officers would be out checking banquet halls and other places that hold events to ensure the 50-person capacity limit is being respected.

“They can expect to be visited,” he said of those hosting private events. “The rules will be enforced and that will have consequences.”

@ashwadhwani ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.caLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.