British Columbia has set yet another single-day record for new cases of COVID-19, over a three-day period that saw 817 cases added to the provincial tally.
Three more people have died as well, health officials said, bringing B.C.’s COVID-19 death toll to 259.
At a Monday briefing, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reported 317 new cases on Saturday, 293 on Sunday, and 207 on Monday.
The previous record of 274 was set last Thursday.
The province has now reported more than 200 cases per day for six consecutive days.
Most of the new cases were in the Fraser Health region (665) and Vancouver Coastal Health region (109).
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Thirty-one were in the Interior Health region, 12 were in Northern Health and there were no new cases on Vancouver Island.
Two B.C. schools have been temporarily closed due to the impact of COVID-19 exposures on staffing, Henry said.
One is Kelowna’s École de l’Anse-au-sable, where at least 11 cases have been confirmed. The other is in the Fraser Health region.
“We knew of course this would be a possibility, especially in the smaller schools where the potential of exposure impacts a larger proportion of the school population,” Henry said.
“While the numbers of people with COVID are small, the requirement for those in contact to be in self isolation meant that the school can no longer safely operate.”
The number of active cases also climbed to a new high of 2,325, while 5,077 people were self-isolating due to potential exposure.
It was the first time the self-isolation figure topped 5,000.
Seventy-seven people, meanwhile, were in hospital with COVID-19, while 26 were in intensive care.
About 80 per cent of B.C.’s 13,371 cases have recovered.
The province reported a new community outbreak at the Surrey Pre-Trial Services Centre, and four new outbreaks in long-term care homes.
Three outbreaks in long term care homes have been declared over.
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