VICTORIA – Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, has confirmed the provinces eight case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
The person affected is visiting from Tehran, Iran and arrived in British Columbia earlier this week. The patient is in isolation at home with support and monitoring from public health teams.
The individual has been confirmed positive based on BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) testing. The individual is female, in her 60s and is staying with family in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.
Vancouver Coastal Health is actively investigating. Close contacts have been identified and contacted by public health officials. Those who may be at risk are now in isolation for 14 days and are being actively monitored for symptoms.
The three additional patients who previously tested positive for COVID-19 are now fully recovered, for a total of four fully recovered patients. The other individuals continue to recover in isolation at home and under the care of public health teams. The BCCDC has completed testing on 1,425 samples for 1012 individuals as of Feb. 27, 2020.
While the risk of spread of COVID-19 within British Columbia remains low at this time, the government will continue to focus efforts on containing and delaying the spread of transmission, as well as preparing for the possibility of a pandemic. A pandemic is the spread of an illness to a large number of people on a global scale.
The most important measures people can take today is to proactively prevent the transmission of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. This includes cleaning your hands regularly, avoiding touching your face, coughing or sneezing into your elbow sleeve and disposing of tissues appropriately. It is also very important to stay home and away from others if you or your family are sick.
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