B.C. has recorded 45 new COVID-19 cases and five more deaths due to the novel coronavirus.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said at least two of those deaths are linked to ongoing outbreaks at two of the 21 care homes in B.C. A total of 48 people have now died, including four other people on Tuesday.
“We are in the thick of it right now, we are still watching what is happening across the country and the globe,” Henry said during a news conference on Wednesday (April 8). “It is not the time to let up.”
A total of 838 people have recovered from the virus, which has no cure nor vaccine, bringing the number of active confirmed cases to 450 in the province. Roughly 1,300 people have been hit with the virus.
The new cases come just a few hours after Premier John Horgan announced new enforcement measures for those travelling into B.C. from overseas and the U.S.
READ MORE: Travellers returning to B.C. must have self-isolation plan or face quarantine: Horgan
Moving forward, arriving travellers – including those being repatriated by the Canadian government, will need a detailed plan in place of how they will self-isolate for the mandatory 14 days under the federal Quarantine Act. Those who cannot create a plan will be placed in quarantine. The province did not detail the location of this facility.
“We must make sure we are there to support and welcome them and make sure they have the means to be able to adhere to the self-isolation plan,” Henry said.
READ MORE: 11 inmates at Mission Institution test positive for COVID-19
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Henry, along with Health Minister Adrian Dix repeated pleas from earlier this week for British Columbians to stay home this Easter long weekend.
“We have to be 100 per cent all in as we go through this long weekend,” Dix said.
More to come.
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