The spread of COVID-19 continues throughout the Province, although numbers have remained steady within Northern Health.
#Breaking: 42 new cases of #covid19 , Northern Health remains at 9.
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) March 25, 2020
42 new cases have been reported, bringing the total to 659, with 9 of those cases occurring within the Northern Health Region. 462 cases are currently considered “active”.
“Of the total COVID-19 cases, 64 individuals are currently hospitalized, 26 of those in hospital are in intensive care,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health Adrian Dix in a joint statement.
The regional breakdown is as follows:
339 Vancouver Coastal Health (up 9 from the last report)
218 Fraser Health (up 24 from the last report)
47 Vancouver Island Health (up 3 from the last report)
46 Interior Health (up 5 from the last report)
9 Northern Health (No change from the last report)
One new death has been attributed to the virus, bringing the total up to 14. All deaths occurred in individuals over the age of 70.
BC’s totals: 42 new cases, total case count is 659. One new death, the total is 14. 10 recoveries today, total is 183.
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) March 25, 2020
Gatherings of more than fifty people are now prohibited.
“This is not an order of convenience, but a requirement to protect everyone in our province,” Henry and Dix stated.
Bonnie Henry explains the 50+ number is maximum, but “smaller is better” in the next few weeks. It’s no longer a suggestion, it’s mandatory. #covid19
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) March 25, 2020
Henry said that the backlog of tests has now been cleared, meaning tests are much more timely.
Additionally, she believes that the effects of social distancing should be reflected in tests sometime next week.
She wants to see the onset of illness come down and the number of cases decreases in the next few days, we should see the results next week.
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) March 25, 2020
Henry encourages anyone showing any cold or flu-like symptoms to stay at home.
She explicitly said that more cases should be expected: “It will grow.”
Currently 26,681 individuals have been tested, with testing capacity within British Columbia increasing to 3,500 tests per day.
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