Nine new cases of the COVID-19 virus have been identified in British Columbia over the past 24 hours, one of which was found in the Interior Health region. 

As a result, B.C. has had 2,558 positive tests of the virus to date, with 195 in the Interior. There remains 241 active cases in the province, six of which are in the IH region. Thirty-three people remain in hospital, with just one COVID-19 hospitalization in the Interior.

During her daily press conference, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said another two residents of long-term seniors care home in the Fraser Health region have died from the virus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total virus-related deaths in the province to 164. Ninety-three of these deaths have been residents of long-term care homes.

Dr. Henry also declared a new outbreak at Port Coquitlam's Nicola Lodge long-term care home, where one case of the virus has been found. Additionally, the outbreak at the Mission Institution federal correctional facility, where 120 inmates contracted COVID-19 leading to one death, was officially declared over. 

To date, 2,152 people have fully recovered from COVID-19 in B.C.

On Thursday, Dr. Henry also amended a previous order, to now allow non-food items to be sold at farmers' markets, and to allow eating at tables on-site at farmers' markets, following similar guidelines as restaurants and pubs. Health Minister Adrian Dix acknowledged Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick's efforts in getting these changes made.