Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and health minister Adrian Dix presented updated COVID-19 numbers from Vancouver on Thursday. (BC Government Flickr)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

COVID-19 UPDATE

Island remains flat for COVID-19 cases, community outbreaks indicate fragile defences

Jun 18, 2020 | 3:32 PM

NANAIMO — Despite another rise in active cases, the number of daily confirmed positive COVID-19 tests remains low in the province and non-existent on Vancouver Island..

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry confirmed eight new COVID-19 cases throughout B.C., with none in the Island Health region.

There are currently 190 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, with 10 patients in hospital including five in intensive or critical care. No active cases have been present on Vancouver Island since early June.

Dr. Henry again preached patience in B.C.’s fight against the novel coronavirus, using recent community and healthcare system outbreaks as evidence COVID-19 can spread quickly and without warning.

“We can have very mild or early on before symptoms start, people may not know they are infectious to others and this can lead to multiple cases in multiple locations very quickly until it’s recognized,” Dr. Henry said.

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One of Thursday’s confirmed cases is an adult associated with an independent school in the Fraser Health region.

The school has since been shut down for in-class instruction and close contacts are being monitored.

“This is a challenge we will continue to face for the foreseeable future,” Dr. Henry said. “We have done an amazing job in British Columbia of bending our curve but we have not yet, nor is it likely we’ll be able to eliminate the virus completely from our communities in the near term.”

She added vigilance, recognizing mild symptoms and staying home if sick are crucial steps in limiting the spread of COVID-19.

Dr. Henry also said she’s ‘cautiously optimistic’ on moving the province’s re-start plan to phase three at some point in the near future, however she noted recent community outbreaks indicate there is still work to do.

“We continue to see spread in our communities, we continue to have new cases. We’re not at that point where we can let down our guard, we need to continue to have the important measures in place that keep us all safe.”

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