You can go outdoors while social distancing, says Dr. Bonnie Henry

UPDATE 11:15 a.m.

Despite all the messaging around social distancing, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says you can still venture outdoors, but only with your household members. 

“For the most part, despite what we are seeing on social media... people are doing their part,” Dr. Henry said at Monday’s update on the coronavirus pandemic in B.C. “But we cannot let up.”

She announced Monday 48 additional COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the province, bringing B.C.’s total to 472. The number of cases in the Interior Health region now sits at 30, up from 27 cases announced at the previous briefing on Saturday afternoon when 76 BC-wide cases were disclosed.

“It is OK, if you are not in self isolation — yes, you can go outside. But go only with your family members in small groups and maintain those distances,” Henry said Monday. “It is important for us to keep our health and mental health going as well through this.”

Henry, however, once more implored people to honour the two-metre social distancing rules to slow the spread of the virus and pointed her pleas at people who continue to host large gatherings at weddings and funerals.

“You are putting people at risk, even people in your own family,” she said.

Henry also announced three additional deaths; two at Lower Mainland care homes and another at the Fraser Health region. 

"Every day at the briefing we report on numbers but let's not lose sight of the truth that they are people," said Health Minister Adrian Dix. "We have to beat back this disease here in B.C.”

Dix said the province’s hospitals have been freeing up as many acute-care beds as possible in preparation for a surge in coronavirus cases. Normally at this time of year, capacity in acute care is at 103 per cent. It currently sits at 68 per cent with more than 1,200 new beds created.

Two more staff members at long-term care homes in the Lower Mainland have tested positive, leading the government to step up screening for staffers at those facilities across B.C. Most of the 13 coronavirus deaths in B.C. are related to the outbreak at the Lynn Valley Care Home.

Dr. Henry added 100 people have now recovered from COVID-19 and have been released from isolation.

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ORIGINAL 10 a.m.

Another 48 virus cases have been confirmed in British Columbia, bringing the province’s total to 472.

The number of cases in the Interior Health region now sits at 30, up from 27 cases announced at the previous briefing on Saturday afternoon when 76 BC-wide cases were announced.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry also announced three additional deaths, two at Lower Mainland care homes and another in the Fraser Health region.

Dr. Henry says 100 people have now recovered from COVID-19 and have been released from isolation. 

More to come...