Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced new COVID-19 positive tests in British Columbia on Monday, April 13. (BC Government Flickr)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

MONDAY UPDATE

Three new COVID-19 cases confirmed on Vancouver Island, province nears 1500

Apr 13, 2020 | 1:44 PM

NANAIMO — The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on Vancouver Island has continued its gradual climb.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, announced three new cases in the Island Health region. The cases were confirmed between Dr. Henry’s last update on Saturday, April 11 and Monday, April 13.

The total number of positive tests on Vancouver Island is now 87, with 1490 confirmed across BC.

Confirmed cases on Vancouver Island have grown slowly over the recent week. Five new confirmed positive tests had been in the Island Health region between Monday, April 6 and Saturday. No new cases were confirmed during Dr. Henry’s update over the weekend.

Dr. Henry addressed non-essential travel during her update, praising residents limiting travel.

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“It’s safe to say that we have been united in keeping our firewall strong across this province,” Dr. Henry said. “BC Ferries continues to report more than 80 per cent decline in travellers in all of their routes.”

BC Ferries reported Monday 14,633 people travelled on the major routes from Nanaimo and Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay over the Easter long weekend, a 92 per cent reduction from Easter weekend in 2019.

The province also touted continuing strong recovery numbers.

Dr. Henry said 926 British Columbian’s had completely recovered from the novel coronavirus, leaving around 500 active cases in B.C.

The number of people who have lost their lives to coronavirus jumped by 11 over the weekend, now at 69 with a majority attributed to long term care facilities in the lower mainland.

New quarantine regulations implemented on Friday also forced people returning to British Columbia to provide an approved self-isolation plan.

As of Monday’s announcement, 1,701 people had returned to B.C. with approved plans, while 13 required accommodations to self-isolate for 14 days.

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