B.C. marks first full week with no COVID-19 deaths since mid-March

For the first time since mid-March, B.C. has gone an entire week with no COVID-19 related deaths.

In a written statement on Friday, provincial health officials also announcedsevennew cases of COVID-19.

The updatebrings the total number of cases in British Columbia to 2,790.Of that number, 178 cases remain active. A total of 2,444 people have recovered.

"Our province has worked together to respond to COVID-19 as one, and the benefit is clear. We have said we must be 100% committed to flattening the COVID-19 curve," saidProvincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix

The total number of fatalities to date remains at 168. In the last 13days, one person has died from COVID-19 in B.C.

Elevenpeople are in hospital, including sixin intensive care.

Henry and Dixsaid there have been no new health-care facility outbreaks, although six long-term care or assisted-living facilities and one acute care facility have active outbreaks.

They also said there have been no new community outbreaks. Public health teams are still providing support for three remaining community locations.

Of the seven new cases, two were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region and five were in the Fraser Health Region.

In the statement, Henry and Dix also referred to recent allegations of racist activities in emergency departments, which involve ER staff playinga "game"to guess the blood-alcohol level of Indigenous patients.

"There is no place in our province for racism of any kind. Not on our streets, at work, at school and not in our health-care system," the health officials said.

Dix made the accusationspublic during a newsconference Friday morning, after hearing about the allegations late Thursday.

Dix and Henry reminded British Columbians who choose to come together to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day or Fathers Day on Sunday, to "take the necessary precautions to do so safely, with kindness, compassion and tolerance."

• Read more about the coronavirus in B.C.

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