May 15th, 2020 #COVID-19 Numbers

Courtesy of the Government of BC:

Editor's Note -- Joint Statement from BC's Health Minister/Provincial Health Officer (Hon. Adrian Dix/Dr. Bonnie Henry) can be viewed here.  Meanwhile, Health Minister Dix pleads with people NOT to travel this long weekend but to stay home in your local community and relax this long weekend - more here.  Next COVID-19 Update is Saturday at 1pm.  

The COVID-19 situation in British Columbia is continually evolving, and the information below is current as of 3 p.m. on Friday, May 15, 2020.

Cases:

• Total confirmed cases in B.C.: 2,407
• New cases since May 14, 2020: 15
• Active cases: 359
• Hospitalized cases: 51
• Intensive care: 12
• COVID-19 related deaths: 140
• Recovered: 1,908
• Long-term care and assisted-living homes currently affected: 15
• Acute-care unit outbreaks: 5

Confirmed cases by region:

• Vancouver Coastal Health: 878
• Fraser Health: 1,164
• Island Health: 126
• Interior Health: 181
• Northern Health: 58

New provincial advice and measures:

• Parents will have the choice of bringing their children back to class on a part-time basis this school year as part of BC’s Restart Plan, with the goal of returning to full-time classes in September 2020, provided it is safe to do so: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020PREM0026-000890
• WorkSafeBC guidelines support safe reopening of business: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020LBR0015-000895
• The Province has purchased the Comfort Inn Hotel, located at 3020 Blanshard St., to provide more affordable homes for people in Victoria: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020MAH0026-000889
• Helping B.C. agriculture, food businesses plan for COVID-19 recovery: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020AGRI0018-000886
• Anne Kang, Minister of Citizens’ Services, has issued statement on hate crimes: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020TAC0021-000885
• Premier John Horgan outlines plan to restart B.C. safely with BC's Restart Plan: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020PREM0026-000826
• Your story, our future survey on BC Centre for Disease Control website:
  http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/covid-19-survey

New federal advice and measures:

• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces support for research staff in Canada:
  https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2020/05/15/prime-minister-announces-support-research-staff-canada
• Canada Summer Jobs start rolling out to keep young people working during COVID-19:
  https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2020/05/canada-summer-jobs-start-rolling-out-to-keep-young-people-working-during-covid-19.html
• Government extends the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy:
  https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2020/05/government-extends-the-canada-emergency-wage-subsidy.html
• Benefit payments for eligible Canadians to continue until fall 2020:
  https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/news/2020/05/benefits-payments-for-eligible-canadians-to-continue-until-fall-2020.html
• Helping British Columbia agriculture and food businesses plan for COVID-19 recovery:
  https://www.canada.ca/en/agriculture-agri-food/news/2020/05/helping-bc-agriculture-and-food-businesses-plan-for-covid-19-recovery.html
• Karina Gould, federal Minister of International Development, issues statement on safeguarding peace during the COVID-19 pandemic:
  https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2020/05/statement-on-safeguarding-peace-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.html

Media availability schedule:

Upcoming scheduled media availabilities with Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer:
Saturday, May 16 – 1 p.m., Victoria
Monday, May 18 – 3 p.m., Victoria  

Resources:

• For provincial support and COVID-19 information, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/covid
• For seniors looking for additional support at this time, call 211 or visit: http://www.bc211.ca/
• For information for Indigenous peoples in B.C., visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/indigenous-people/covid19
• If you or a family member need additional medical advice, call 811.

Testing:

• For the latest statistics, including testing, visit the BC Centre for Disease Control's COVID-19 dashboard:
  http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/data
• If symptoms appear, check your symptoms online: https://covid19.thrive.health
  • If needed, call your health-care provider or 811 for further guidance.

Learn More:

For the latest videos and livestreaming of COVID-19 media availabilities, visit:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BCProvincialGovernment/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ProvinceofBC
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BCGovNews

For the latest medical updates, including case counts, prevention, risks and testing, follow @CDCofBC on Twitter or visit: http://www.bccdc.ca/

For the provincial health officer’s orders, notices and guidance, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/phoguidance

For non-health related information, including financial, child care and education supports, travel, transportation and essential service information, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/Covid-19
Or call 1 888 COVID19 (1 888 268-4319) between 7:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. (Pacific time), seven days a week.

BC’s Restart Plan lays out a series of steps that we will take together to protect people and ensure the province can come back from COVID-19 stronger than before:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support/bc-restart-plan

For recommendations on protecting yourself and your community, including for employers and businesses, visit:
http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/coronavirus-(novel)

For common questions about COVID-19 and terminology, visit:
http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/common-questions

Worker and employer information:
For workers and employers who need help understanding the law and their rights, have workplace health and safety questions or who need help with claims, call:
Employment Standards Branch: 1 833 236-3700
For health and safety assistance: 1 888 621-7233 (1 888 621-SAFE)
For workers and claims: 1 888 967-5377 (1 888 WORKERS)