What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. on May 10, 2020
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 15 new cases on Saturday
THE LATEST:
- Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 15 new cases on Saturday.
- British Columbia has recorded a total of 2,330 cases.
- To date, 129 people have died from COVID-19 in the province.
- Of those who have tested positive, 1,659 people have recovered.
- Some outdoor facilities like tennis courts are open this weekend.
- The province is developing plans to allow visits to long-term care facilities.
- The next provincial update will be Monday at 3 p.m.
British Columbia is developing plans to allow family members to return to long-term care facilities to visit relatives, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Saturday.
Visits by family members, other than end-of-life visits, have been severely restricted at seniors residences since March, when Vancouver-area facilities began to see COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths.
"We are working, absolutely, on plans to make sure that we can let families back in to support our seniors and elders but in a safe way so that it is safe for the whole community within that facility," Henry said at a news conference. "These new ways of doing things will be coming in the coming weeks and days."
But Henry said restrictions on visits must remain in place for the near future to limit the spread of the virus.
She said there are currently 21 COVID-19 outbreaks at B.C. long-term care residences and acute-care units. There are 16 outbreaks at seniors residences and five at acute-care units.
Outbreaks at 19 seniors residences have been declared over, Henry said.
Latest COVID-19 numbers
The next update from the province will be Monday at 3 p.m.
Henry announced 15 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, as British Columbia moves closer to lifting restrictions.
She also announced two more deaths from COVID-19.
To date, 129 people have died from the virus in the province, while among those who have tested positive, 1,659 people have recovered.
Henry said on Saturday that 69 people remain in hospital for treatment, with 21 in intensive care.
Henry has asked residents to keep up efforts to maintain physical distancing, even as restrictions begin to lift.
She warned that despite her encouragement for people to get outside, people should still stick to their families and keep a safe distance from others.
Tennis anyone?
Some tennis courts in Vancouver, along with those in other Metro Vancouver municipalities, are open this weekend as municipalities across Metro Vancouver lift restrictions put in place in March due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Other outdoor facilities such as skate parks and even some basketball courts have opened as well, but there are rules for getting out to play, however.
READ MORE: How B.C. plans to ease COVID-19 restrictions
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- Get the latest advisories, updates and cancellations for B.C.
Top COVID-19 stories today
- Dr. Bonnie Henry says B.C. is in for an "unusual" summer where connections must expand without letting the virus take hold.
- A B.C. doctor is sounding the alarm over an uncharacteristic drop in the number of child abuse reports to the province since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Unreliable Internet service in some rural areas of B.C. is forcing families to make hard decisions.
- Fire officials are worried a rise in house fire fatalities is connected to more people at home due to the pandemic.
- A composting facility in Ladner has been given an extension for dealing with a smell that has rankled neighbours for more than a year. The reason? Pandemic hardship.
- A well-known Vancouver fabric shop has embraced going online as a result of the pandemic, something it has put off for years.
- Time to buy? What the pandemic means for Vancouver's real estate market.
- Columnist Laura Saimoto reflects one her mother's strength and perseverance this Mother's Day. She is a Japanese Canadian who faced internment during the Second World War.
Important reminders:
Health officials widely agree the most important thing you can do to prevent coronavirus and other illnesses is to wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face.
The World Health Organization said more than 80 per cent of COVID-19 infections are estimated to be mild.
What's happening elsewhere in Canada
As of Sunday, Canada had 68,848 confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19. A CBC News tally of COVID-19-related deaths based on provincial figures, regional health data and CBC's reporting listed 4,970 deaths in Canada, with another two 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.
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
Common symptoms include:
- Fever.
- Cough.
- Tiredness.
But more serious symptoms can develop, including difficulty breathing and pneumonia.
What should I do if I feel sick?
Stay home. Isolate yourself and call your local public health authority or 811. Do not visit an emergency room or urgent care centre to get tested.
Find information about COVID-19 from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
Non-medical information about COVID-19 is available in B.C. from 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. PT, seven days a week at 1-888-COVID19 (1-888-268-4319).
What can I do to protect myself?
- Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. Keep them clean.
- Keep at least two metres away from people who are sick.
- When outside the home, keep two metres away from other people.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Masks won't fully protect you from infection, but can help prevent you from infecting others.
More detailed information on the outbreak is available on the federal government's website.
If you have a COVID-19-related story we should pursue that affects British Columbians, please email us at impact@cbc.ca
With files from The Canadian Press