VICTORIA – Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer has confirmed three new cases of COVID-19 in B.C, for a total of 12 cases in British Columbia. All of these new cases reside in the Vancouver Coastal Health region and have recently returned from travel to Iran.
Case 10 is a man and in his 60s and case 11 is a woman. They have no connection to previous confirmed cases. Case 12 is a woman in her 30s and a close contact of the eighth case, previously reported on Feb. 29.
These new cases have been confirmed positive based on BC Centre for Disease Control testing. Four B.C. patients have now fully recovered, and the other individuals with COVID-19 are in isolation at home with support and monitoring from public health teams.
Vancouver Coastal Health continues to actively investigate these new cases. Close contacts are being identified and contacted by public health officials. Those who may be at risk are requested to self-isolate for 14 days and are being actively monitored for symptoms.
While the risk of spread of COVID-19 within British Columbia remains low at this time, we continue widespread testing by screening British Columbians and travellers with symptoms, along with their close contacts, to identify cases of COVID-19 early.
Starting today, Canada Border Services Agency officers are taking contact information from all travellers arriving from Iran, requiring them to self-isolate for 14 days and to contact public health officials. This process is already in place for people arriving from Hubei, China.
When a traveller shows signs of a potential infectious disease upon arrival in Canada, border services officers contact quarantine officers, who are always available to provide health screening.
All other travellers who are returning to or visiting B.C. from outside Canada to monitor themselves and their children closely for symptoms and if any arise, to limit their contact with others and call 811. This is an important way to reduce the possibility of transmission of illness to others.
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