British Columbia reports just one new coronavirus case in last 24 hours

For the first time since early March, British Columbia has confirmed just a single case of the novel coronavirus in a 24-hour period.

Health officials released a joint statement Friday in place of a live briefing, where they also confirmed a single death. The fatality was at the Langley Lodge, a long-term care home in the grips of one of the province’s worst outbreaks.

The number of active cases the province is tracking has now dipped below 200, standing at 194 on Friday.

Of those cases, 21 patients were in hospital, five of them in intensive care.

B.C. health officials have reported 2,632 cases of COVID-19 in total, more than 86 per cent of which have recovered. The province said one case was removed from Thursday’s total due to a data correction.

An outbreak at the Berkley Care Centre long-term care home was declared over, Friday, leaving B.C. with just five residential care facilities affected by the virus.

British Columbia unveiled its latest round of modelling on Thursday, showing residents were keeping their social and business contacts at about 50 per cent of normal.

Officials said if British Columbians can remain on that track, the province could move to Phase 3 of its reopening plan by mid June, and even see confirmed new cases vanish by July.