Provincial health officials announced 53 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, including one on Vancouver Island. (BC Government Flickr)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

SMALL JUMP

Additional COVID-19 case on Vancouver Island as province warns of ‘wildfire’ potential

Aug 7, 2020 | 3:20 PM

NANAIMO — Provincial health officials are banking on layers of defence to prevent COVID-19 from spreading ‘like a wildfire’.

A total of 53 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed Friday, including one on Vancouver Island. Three of the newly confirmed cases are epi-linked and no longer considered active.

Three active cases remain on Vancouver Island with 147 cases confirmed in the Island Health region since the start of the pandemic.

The number of active cases climbed to 386 province-wide, up 15 from Thursday’s total.

In a joint statement from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and health minister Adrian Dix, the province again rallied behind the layers of protection set up to prevent mass community transmission of the virus.

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Layers include the wearing of masks in close quarters, physically distancing to a minimum of two metres and staying clear of large gatherings.

“As we see new COVID-19 hot spots emerge and the new cases creep up in every health authority, we have to keep our firewall strong,” the statement said. “Like a wildfire, COVID-19 has the potential to rapidly burn out of control and we need to put out these flare-ups.”

Over 1,500 people are currently self-isolating in every health authority, including Vancouver Island as a result of potential COVID-19 exposure.

No new deaths were linked to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, marking the seventh consecutive day without a coronavirus fatality.

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