No changes yet to COVID restrictions, as B.C. records 1,360 cases over the weekend

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – B.C.’s top doctor says there are no changes to this province’s COVID-19 restrictions yet, but some may be announced later this week.

Over the weekend, B.C. recorded 1,360 new cases. On Saturday, 443 infections were reported. There were 493 on Sunday, and 424 on Monday.

There were 14 deaths over the weekend.

BC #covid19 May 17
Of the 14 deaths this weekend:
12 people 60+, 1 person 50s, 1 person 40s)#bcpoli @news1130

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) May 17, 2021

The current public health restrictions in effect in B.C. are in place until the end of the May long weekend, at earliest.

“We are not yet ready to make any changes to our current, current provincial health orders this week … this means this long weekend, it is important for all of us to stay the course,” B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Monday.

She notes although numbers are going down, we still have more than 400 new infections every day.

“That reminds us that the virus continues to circulate, and we have to do all we can to stop those transmissions, as we’re all developing this protection. That’s why we can’t be making any changes right now. We can’t be traveling, and we can’t be having large gatherings this weekend,” she said, noting she and her team will take a look at the situation in the coming days.

“There is a plan that we will be presenting to you,” she promised, saying what British Columbians do today will determine where we will be in the coming months.

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“I don’t think anybody wants to see a surge in cases in two weeks. That would just set us back again, and we don’t need to do that, we need to keep moving forward,” she said.

The numbers shared by Henry on Monday continues B.C.’s steady decline in daily case counts, with hospitalizations also dropping.

There are 350 people hospitalized with COVID-19, including 132 who are in the ICU. Those numbers are a drop from Friday’s figures of 387 and 141, respectively.

Henry says 2,528,398 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far, 130,023 of which are second doses. She says over 55 per cent of eligible adults have received a first dose.

Registered British Columbians aged 18 and up are being contacted to book their vaccination appointments.