UPDATE: First death of First Nations community member reported in B.C. due to COVID-19

There were two new COVID-19 cases in the Interior Health region and one person in a B.C. First Nations community has died from COVID-19, according to the provincial health officer.

Provincial health officer Bonnie Henry gave her daily update Saturday afternoon.

There are 95 new cases reported in the province, and two additional deaths from yesterday, Henry said.

Most of these new cases are due to outbreaks in the province, including at the Mission Correctional Institution with 40 news cases and at Superior Poultry Processors Ltd. with 16 news cases. The poultry plant was shut down Friday due to the outbreak.

The total number of cases in the province is 1,948, with 96 people in the hospital and 41 of those people are in critical care, she said. A total of 1137 people have fully recovered, she said. 

There have been two additional deaths since Friday, which includes a death in a B.C. First Nations community.

“This is a tragedy that is beyond just us. It's a tragedy for all of us. Our elders in our First Nations communities are culture and history keepers. When they become ill and they die, we all lose,” she said.

This story was updated at 2 p.m.

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