One new COVID-19 case in Interior Health region

One new case of COVID-19 has been reported in the Interior Health region in the last 24 hours, according to the latest update from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

The case in the Interior is one of only eight new cases throughout the province, bringing the total to date to 2,783.

The Interior Health region had gone five days with no new cases and had only two in about the last month.

There have been 2,425 people who have fully recovered and with no new deaths in the last 24 hours, a total of 168 people have died from the virus.

There are only 10 people currently in hospital, down from a peak of more than 140 a few weeks ago.

The figures were released by Dr. Henry today, June 18, at the regularly scheduled COVID-19 update where she stressed that the virus can spread, often undetected before symptoms show.

“We have done an amazing job here in British Columbia at bending our curve but we have not yet, nor is it likely that we’ll be able to eliminate the virus completely in our communities in the near term,” Henry said. “We’re not at the point where we can let down our guard.”

She is cautiously optimistic about easing lockdown restrictions next week but is concerned about the spread of the disease in health-care facilities in the Lower Mainland. 

Dr. Henry urged people to be vigilant about maintaining COVID-19 protocols.

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