By The Canadian Press / James Peters

COVID-19

B.C. expands COVID-19 restrictions, orders masks in public spaces

Nov 19, 2020 | 3:31 PM

VICTORIA — British Columbia is making it mandatory to wear masks in public spaces while social interactions will be under new restrictions until Dec. 7 because of a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry earlier imposed restrictions on social gatherings in areas covered by the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health authorities, but says COVID-19 is spreading to other places and the order will now be province-wide.

Henry says the previous measures have failed to decrease the number of cases and the health-care system is under strain.

She says all worship services, community and social events will be suspended, along with high-intensity group fitness, such as interval training, hot yoga and spin classes.

There are exceptions for baptisms, weddings and funerals, but they are limited to 10 people.

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Henry is also asking people to curtail non-essential travel.

Meantime, Dr. Henry announced 538 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday (Nov. 19), including 28 new cases within Interior Health.

That brings the total cases seen in B.C. to 24,960, spread through the province as follows:

• 7,259 — Vancouver Coastal (up by 178)
• 15,449 — Fraser Health (up by 309)
• 429 — Island Health (up by 12)
• 1,172 — Interior Health (up by 28)
• 564 — Northern Health (up by 11)
• 92 — Reside outside of Canada (unchanged)

Henry says there are 6,929 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., with 217 people in hospital and 59 in intensive care.

Within Interior Health, there are 223 active cases, with two people in hospital and one in intensive care.

There has been one new death due to the virus, bringing the total to 321 in the province.

A total of 9.977 people are under active public health monitoring due to exposure to known COVID-19 cases.

There are now 17,207 people considered fully recovered from the virus, or 69 per cent of all known cases.