Two more people have died of COVID-19 in B.C. and there have been another 148 cases of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Thursday.
It’s the highest number of new cases since the province set a record last Thursday with 165 new cases in a single day.
The disease has now claimed a total of 229 lives in B.C.
There are 1,371 active cases of infection in the province, and public health is following up on 3,417 people currently in isolation.
Sixty-one people are in hospital as of Thursday, including 20 in intensive care.
School exposures
Henry noted that there had been no school outbreaks so far, but there have been approximately 30 school exposures.
Exposure events occur when someone with a positive case may have come into contact with a person inside the school. An outbreak is when there is at least one identified positive case within the school itself.
“That is not surprising to me, we have over 2,000 schools across the province,” said Henry. “Public health is there for every single school and we will continue to be there.”
Henry also clarified some confusion around school notices, explaining that schools send out notices for a variety of different concerns, but public health will send out a notice of their own when they are involved.
“The public health notices we’ve been sending out are the same across the province,” she said.
Dr. Bonnie Henry talks about death threats against her, saying there’s been “much more positive feedback” than criticism:
Henry also referenced her comments at the Union of B.C. Municipalities earlier this week where she said she had received death threats during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It has been a challenge,” she said, adding when people are anxious and afraid, they may lash out in anger and frustration.
“There’s been much more positive feedback that I’ve been getting on a daily basis … I do appreciate all of the notes and good wishes.”
