Provincial COVID-19 update for March 31
By Contributor
Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, have issued the following joint statement regarding updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response in British Columbia:
“We are announcing 43 new cases, for a total of 1,013 cases in British Columbia.
“Every health region in British Columbia has patients with COVID-19: 476 are in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 348 are in the Fraser Health region, 67 are in the Island Health region, 107 are in the Interior Health region and 15 are in the Northern Heath region.
“It is with sadness that we report five deaths in the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health regions in the last 24 hours, for a total of 24 COVID-19 related deaths in British Columbia.
“We continue to see new cases in long-term care and assisted living homes. There are now COVID-19 cases in 19 facilities in B.C., all in the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health regions. Public health officials are providing support to implement outbreak protocols at all sites.
“To date, 507 people who had tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered and no longer have isolation requirements.
“Of the total COVID-19 cases, 128 individuals are currently hospitalized, 61 of those are in intensive care and the remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation.
“We are at a critical juncture in our provincial COVID-19 response. Every British Columbian has a part to play to flatten the curve. We must all do the right thing and be 100% committed.
“No one is immune, but everyone can make a difference. If you are older, staying home keeps you away from those who could put you at risk. If you are young, staying apart means you are preserving important capacity within our health-care system for our elders and others at highest risk.
“The Government of B.C. continues to provide new resources to support British Columbians during this challenging time.
“We are providing our essential workers who are parents a new resource to access child care for children five years old and younger. Starting today, they can register with child care resource referral centres to be assigned licensed child care spaces in their area.”
Learn More:
For more information on child care for essential service workers, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020CFD0017-000599
For recommendations on protecting yourself and your community from COVID-19, and to use an online self-assessment tool, visit: http://www.bccdc.ca/
The COVID-19 self-assessment app can be downloaded at: https://bc.thrive.health/
For non-medical questions about COVID-19 call 1 888 COVID-19 or visit: www.gov.bc.ca/covid19
For a full listing of provincial health officer orders and guidance, visit: www.Gov.bc.ca/phoguidance
For the latest videos and livestreaming of COVID-19 media availabilities:
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BCProvincialGovernment/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BCGovNews
On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ProvinceofBC
