Northern Health Region adds 60 new cases, outdoor gatherings permitted

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Northern Health Region added 60 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, raising the active case count to 295.

There are 14 people in hospital, 10 of whom are in Intensive Care.

The region confirmed one COVID-19 related death Thursday, bringing the total to 110.

There have been 5,045 confirmed cases and 4,630 recoveries in the region since last spring.

British Columbia recorded 569 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, raising the active case count to 4,912.

There are 244 people in hospital, 68 of whom are in Intensive Care.

The province added three COVID-19 related deaths Thursday, bringing the total to 1,397.

A total of 86,219 cases have been confirmed since last spring, and 79,829 have recovered.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced the lifting of restrictions around outdoor gatherings. Now, British Columbians can gather outside in groups of up to 10 people.

New modeling presented Thursday shows people have reduced the number of different contacts to about 50 or 60 per cent of normal.

A 50 per cent contact rate could cause a mid-March surge, followed by a decrease in the spring months. If contacts stayed at 60 per cent, case numbers could jump up significantly.

“It is important after all these months to focus on some of the things we can do safely,” says Henry.

Restrictions on indoor gathering stayed the same, as Henry pointed to evidence that indoor settings carry the most risk, and the chance of spreading the virus outdoors is far lower.

“It’s slowly turning the dial. It’s not flicking the switch.”

Restrictions on social gatherings have been in place since November.