Although there weren't any new community outbreaks or deaths announced today, there are two new outbreaks at long-term care facilities in the Lower Mainland.

Daily update

Instead of an in-person briefing, B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix issued a news release.

Today, B.C. confirmed 19 new COVID-19 cases.

The total cumulative number during the pandemic is now at 2,775 cases, with 946 cases in Vancouver Coastal Health, 1,438 in Fraser Health, 130 in Island Health, 196 in Interior Health, and 65 in Northern Health.

There are currently 185 active cases, with 11 people in hospital (five of whom are in intensive-care units).

No new community outbreaks have been announced. An outbreak at Coquitlam’s Oppenheimer Group produce distributor has been declared over.

However, there are two new health-care outbreaks described as “very concerning”.

One is at the Mission Memorial Hospital and the other is at Tabor Home in Abbotsford.

The outbreak at Tabor Home and at the Maple Hill long-term care facility announced yesterday (June 16) are connected to the outbreak at Mission Memorial Hospital. Public-health teams are working to contain the spread of the virus at these facilities.

“Mission Memorial is a small hospital, which means services for the local community are now limited to urgent and emergency care only,” the news release states. “While we are monitoring the situation closely, we are hopeful that we have caught these outbreaks in the early stages.”

A total of 2,422 people (87 percent) have now recovered.

For the fifth consecutive day, there are no new deaths, leaving total fatalities at 168. The last death was reported on June 12.

B.C. economic recovery survey

While the B.C. Centre for Disease Control held an online survey for gathering information about how the pandemic has impacted British Columbians, the B.C. government is now asking for feedback about ideas for an economic recovery plan.

Almost half of the jobs lost during the pandemic have been in accommodations and food services, according to the provincial government. Also, greater job losses occurred among women and young adults; low-wage, part-time, informal, and self-employed workers; and in retail, tourism, and social services. Indigenous and new Canadians were also greatly impacted by the pandemic.

After the pandemic developed in B.C., the provincial government implemented the $5 billion COVID-19 Action Plan.

The three main areas of focus have been on protecting health, providing income and support for families and businesses, and ensuring essential services remained ongoing. 

People can respond online, by email, or in virtual town halls. Full details, including the report Building B.C.’s Recovery, Together: Have Your Say released today, are available at the B.C. government website.