Dr. Bonnie Henry announced a near-doubling of cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia on Tuesday, March 17. (CBC)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

COVID-19 IN BC

B.C. confirms 83 new cases of COVID-19, declares public health emergency

Mar 17, 2020 | 3:14 PM

NANAIMO — The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia has nearly doubled.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer reported 83 new confirmed cases in B.C. including five additional cases in the Island Health region.

It brings the total number of cases in Island Health to 12 and in British Columbia to 186.

Three new deaths were also reported, including two related to the on-going outbreak at the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver, as well as a man in his 80’s in the Fraser Valley.

The news comes on the same day Premier John Horgan and education minister Rob Fleming announced schools will remain closed indefinitely following spring break, to protect students from the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

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Dr. Henry also announced the formal declaration of a public health emergency in British Columbia, along with an immediate closure of any club, bar or restaurant that cannot guarantee social distancing regulations.

“This is something that we’ve had as a tool in our toolkit for some time,” Henry said. “This declaration of an emergency enables me to be faster, more streamlined and nimble in the things that we need to do now.”

The declaration allows Dr. Henry to issue verbal orders to be implemented with immediate effect. It also allows health minister Adrian Dix to amend regulations and make changes to the public health act without the consent or consult of cabinet or the legislature.

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