What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. for Dec. 11

THE LATEST:

• Health officials in B.C. announced 11 new COVID-19 related deaths Friday.
• 737 new cases of the virus were also confirmed.
• There are 9,589 active cases of COVID-19 across B.C.
• 342 patients are in hospital, with 87 in intensive care.
• 598 people in B.C. have died of the disease since the pandemic began.
• Restrictions on social gatherings remain in place until Jan. 8.
• Residents can only socialize with their household and should travel only if it is essential.

Health officials in B.C. announced 737 new cases of COVID-19 and 11 more deaths Friday.

There are currently 342 people in hospital, with 87 in intensive care. B.C. has 9,589 active cases of the virus, with 12,008 under public health monitoring.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry once again urged British Columbians to take a step back from holiday gatherings this weekend.

"Take the time to get outside and enjoy a quieter weekend with those in your household. Show your loved ones you care by staying local and staying away right now," Henry said, in a joint statement with Health Minister Adrian Dix.

New outbreaks declared

On Friday, Fraser Health said the outbreaks at Burnaby Hospital and seniors residence Amica White Rock were over.

The health authority however declared an outbreak at Regent Christian Academy in Surrey after 30 positive cases were identified. In response, the school has switched to remote learning until the end of the semester.

New outbreaks have also been declared at Agassiz Seniors Community, Hilton Villa Seniors Community in Surrey, and St. Michael's Centre in Burnaby.

There were 119 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the Vancouver Coastal Health region Friday, 469 new cases in the Fraser Health region, eight in the Island Health region, 99 in the Interior Health region, 41 in the Northern Health region and one new case of a person who resides outside of Canada.

New federal forecasts also released Friday show all of Canada's large provinces need to strengthen their COVID-19 response "now,'' with data suggesting the death toll nationwide could hit nearly 15,000 on Christmas Day.

Updated modelling indicated that Canada remains on a "rapid growth trajectory,'' with daily cases expected to cross the 10,000 mark later this month.

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Provincewide, COVID-19 restrictions have been extended to Jan. 8 at midnight.

That means residents can only socialize with people in their household, and all events and gatherings must be cancelled. British Columbians are being told not to travel outside their local communities for non-essential reasons, whether it's to visit family or take a vacation.

READ MORE:

• All your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine in B.C. answered here.
• Regent Christian Academy, a private school in Surrey closed on Friday after 30 cases were confirmed.
• The sister of a man with ALS says the pandemic has made years of inadequate care worse.
• The aunt of a B.C. infant born while his mother was in a coma due to COVID-19 complications says the family is trying to stay hopeful but keep their expectations reasonable as the baby's mother remains unconscious a month later.
• The province has sent a rapid-response team of paramedics to Fort St. James, B.C., where at least 40 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the community of around 1,500.

What's happening elsewhere in Canada

As of 3:05 p.m. PT on Friday, Canada's COVID-19 case count stood at 448,841, with 73,297 of those cases considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths based on provincial reports, regional health information and CBC's reporting stood at 13,251.

More Ontario regions heading into lockdown

Ontario reported 1,848 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday along with 45 additional deaths. Two more regions — York and Windsor-Essex — will join Toronto by going into lockdown as of Monday at 12:01 a.m. ET

Public health officials in Saskatchewan announced 246 new cases on Friday. The total of known active COVID-19 cases in the province has now dropped to 4,547, after public health officials deemed another 387 cases as recovered.

Alberta reported 1,738 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, along with 18 deaths. Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province's chief medical officer of health, said on Thursday that new restrictions brought in this week should serve as a warning to Albertans about how serious the pandemic has become.

In Quebec, health officials reported 1,713 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday and 53 additional deaths, bringing the provincial death toll to 7,435. COVID-19 hospitalizations increased to 871, with 123 people in intensive care, according to a provincial dashboard.

In Manitoba, health officials reported 293 new cases of COVID-19 and 13 additional deaths, bringing the provincial death toll to 451.

No new cases in P.E.I.

In Atlantic Canada, Nova Scotia reported nine new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, while Newfoundland and Labrador reported one new case. For a second day, there were no new cases reported in Prince Edward Island.