Photo: BC gov. Flickr

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry

There have been another 223 COVID-19 cases identified across British Columbia in the past 24 hours, including 18 in the Interior Health region.

The new cases bring the total positive tests in the province to 12,554, and active cases are now at 2,009. This is the highest number of active cases the province has had since the beginning of the pandemic.

Of these cases, 75 people are being treated in hospital, 24 of whom are in intensive care. Another 4,637 people are self-isolating under public health monitoring after coming into contact with a COVID-positive person.

No new COVID-related deaths occurred in the past 24 hours, and the total remains at 256.

Two new long-term care home outbreaks were declared Friday, in Burnaby and Surrey, while four other care home outbreaks were declared over. Currently, outbreaks remain at 16 care homes and two acute-care facilities.

Additional community outbreaks were declared at Coast Spas Manufacturing in Langley and Pace Processing in Surrey. The province did not disclose the number of cases associated with each outbreak.

The outbreak at Kelowna's École de l’Anse-au-sable school grew to 11 cases as of Friday, and Interior Health also announced a cluster of COVID-19 cases connected to Building Blocks Educare childcare centre on Gordon Drive. There are currently 72 active cases of the virus in the Interior. 

"In recent days, we have seen a number of new outbreaks of COVID-19 in the community and in long-term care facilities. Contact-tracing teams throughout our province are working around the clock to stop further spread, but it requires all of us to do our part to be successful in these efforts,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said in a statement.

“This is our opportunity and the time to take a step back from our social interactions and keep our groups small this weekend. In doing this, we show our appreciation and support for the important work of contact tracers.”

Photo: Castanet News