What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. on April 17, 2020

UPDATE: On Friday afternoon, the province issued a revision to its COVID-19 numbers from Thursday, April 16 related to long-term care homes. The copy that follows reflects those changes, with a correction at the bottom.

THE LATEST:

• Dr. Bonnie Henry announces: "We have flattened that curve," after revealing new modelling of B.C.'s COVID-19  situation.
• As of Friday afternoon, B.C. has confirmed 1,618 cases of COVID-19.
• 78 people have died of the disease.
• 966 patients have recovered. This number is lower than previous figures and reflects new criteria from Vancouver Coastal Health.
• 119 people are in hospital with COVID-19, including 52 in intensive care.

The COVID-19 curve is flattening in B.C. The worst-case scenarios did not come to pass and measures to limit disease transmission have been effective.

Those were some of the takeaways from a briefing led by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix Friday morning where updated modelling of B.C.'s COVID-19 situation was shown to the public.

Henry said some restrictions could be lifted next month if the progress continues but she also said British Columbians should not expect life to return to pre-COVID days anytime soon.

"Our new normal for the coming months, and it may be some time, is going to be modifications of what we're seeing right now," Henry said.

"We must hold that line."

A statement from the province later Friday said B.C. recorded 43 new cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths in the last 24 hours.

As of Friday afternoon, the province has had 1,618 test-positive cases of the illness and 78 deaths.

At least 966 people have recovered from COVID-19, a decrease from the 983 reported one day earlier. That change reflects new criteria used by Vancouver Coastal Health for someone to be considered recovered, the province said 

A total of 119 patients are currently in hospital, including 52 in intensive care. 

There are ongoing outbreaks at 20 long-term care homes, two provincial correctional centres and one federal prison. There have been no new outbreaks in the past day.

The Mission Institution, the federal prison, has seen 63 people test positive for the novel coronavirus, six of whom are in hospital. One person has died in relation to that outbreak.

There is also an outbreak in an acute care ward at Ridge Meadows Hospital.

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Scenarios presented

Among the slides Henry and Dix showed to the public were various scenarios of increases of person-to-person contact limitations extending into June and how those could impact hospitalizations.

She said until a vaccine is developed, British Columbians will need to walk the line between managing transmissions and avoiding the "unintended consequences" of the restrictions on society.

"We're a long way from done," Dix said.

Examples of activities that could return in a few weeks include elective surgeries, as well as changes that would help reactivate sectors of the economy. Some activities in schools could resume, but no decision has been made on whether that will happen before the end of the academic year.  

Top stories today

• British Columbia is beginning to develop new COVID-19 projections that could allow the province to ease some restrictions next month if active cases and hospitalizations continue to fall.

• British Columbians rate themselves quite highly in adhering to physical distancing measures but are far more critical of the province's efforts as a whole, a new survey suggests.

• In the last week, the B.C. government has continued to announce provincewide recoveries from COVID-19 — while quietly hiding the fact that data from Vancouver Coastal Health is no longer being included. 

• Trial lawyers in B.C. say they want courts reopened as soon as possible to avoid a case backlog that could last years.
• A winter shelter in Kelowna has been transformed into a hygiene centre for the city's homeless population to wash their hands, have showers and do laundry. 
• An employee at a Real Canadian Superstore in East Vancouver has registered a presumptive positive on a test for COVID-19.
• Royal Columbian Hospital is researching how different approaches to ventilator use — especially ventilator pressure — can impact patient outcomes.
• B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is adding another title to her long list of credentials — shoe muse for designer John Fluevog.
• The Migrant Rights Network called on the federal government to issue individual tax numbers to undocumented migrant workers, allowing them to access subsidies like the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit.
• ICBC is temporarily waiving a number of fees amid the pandemic.

What's happening elsewhere in Canada

As of 3 a.m. PT on Thursday, Canada had 30,106 confirmed coronavirus cases. A tally of COVID-19 deaths maintained by CBC News has recorded 1,274 deaths in Canada, with another two coronavirus-related deaths abroad.

The numbers are not a complete picture, as they don't account for people who haven't been tested, those being investigated as a potential case and people still waiting for test results. 

For a look at what's happening across the country and the world, check the CBC interactive case tracker.

If you have a COVID-19-related story we should pursue that affects British Columbians, please email us at impact@cbc.ca