COVID-19 Update April 20, 2020:
📊 There are 52 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in BC. There were 29 new cases found between Saturday and Sunday. There were 23 new cases confirmed between Sunday and Monday. There is a total of 1,699 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in BC. There are 705 cases in the Fraser Health region.
💻 More than 23,000 computers and devices are being loaned out in every part of the province, so students can access the internet and continue their education while in-class learning is suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some school districts have redeployed their computer technicians to support for families.
🔴 I am very sad to announce that there have been 5 more people who have passed away since Saturday due to COVID-19 in BC. My thoughts are with their families, caregivers, and communities as they grieve in this unbelievably difficult time.
✅ Premier John Horgan today announced a new framework to help people in rural and Indigenous communities get access to the critical care they need. This framework will include new and faster testing technology, increased mental health supports, and expanded resources for BC Emergency Health services, among other supports. Local leadership will determine how these services operate in their communities.
❗Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has ordered that anyone returning to BC from the Kearl Lake oilsands facility near Fort MacMurray must self-isolate for 14 days.
✅ 1,039 people have fully recovered from COVID-19 in BC.
As Dr. Henry said today, we avoided a major crisis in our province because you did and are doing what has been asked. I am so grateful for how everyone has contributed to this effort, but we cannot undo all of the progress that we have made. We must continue to wash our hands, staying home, and checking-in with our elders and loved ones.
Be safe. Be well.
For more information on Provincial government supports, please visit this link: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support.
For more information on today’s announcement regarding technology loans to help BC students, please visit this link: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020EDUC0030-000712
For more information on today’s announcement regarding the province’s support for Indigenous, rural, and remote communities, please visit this link: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020PREM0020-000725