COVID-19 cases next to nil on Vancouver Island

There was one COVID-19 case on Vancouver Island added to the province’s tally since yesterday, but that individual has already recovered.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix issued a joint statement Friday, May 22, updating British Columbians on COVID-19 case counts and response.

B.C. recorded 18 new COVID-19 cases, as well as three more deaths all within the Fraser Health region, and Henry and Dix offered their condolences to the families of the three people who died.

The new cases bring the total to 2,507 test-positive cases confirmed since January. Of those, 2,042 have fully recovered, meaning there are 310 active cases. Forty-one people are in hospital due to the novel coronavirus, eight of whom are in intensive care.

On the Island, the new case reported Friday was a person associated with the Kearl Lake outbreak “who completed their self-isolation in Alberta and has since recovered,” the statement noted.

There have been 127 COVID-19 cases in Island Health, with only one patient in hospital on Vancouver Island.

Kathy MacNeil, Island Health CEO, in a video posted to social media Friday, thanked community members both for their support of health-care workers and their efforts to control the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“You have risen to the challenge,” she said. “By practising physical distancing, by staying home and by making sure that you’ve kept your hands clean, you have been able to help us flatten the curve.”

In Friday’s provincial statement, Henry and Dix said Phase 2 of the province’s restart plan is about pausing to be thoughtful and cautious before moving forward.

“We are finding our new balance between protecting our health and re-opening many of the businesses and activities that are important to all of us…” they said. “This approach – moving slowly, with patience and care – is our way forward. We have made great strides to flatten our curve, and we must continue with our efforts. Let’s keep going, together.”

B.C. amends restrictions on gatherings to also put cap on vehicles at outdoor drive-in events https://t.co/aRBo7ux0vK

— Nanaimo Bulletin (@NanaimoBulletin) May 22, 2020