bc 'This is the weekend to stay home,' health officials say, as B.C. records 469 new cases of COVID-19 B.C. health officials announced 469 new cases of COVID-19 and six more deaths on Wednesday. In a written statement, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix put the number of hospitalized patients at 230 people, the lowest total since Nov. 20. A total of 66 of those patients are currently in intensive care. Henry and Dix once again urged everyone to stick to their local communities this Family Day Long weekend. "This weekend is the weekend to stay home — to show your family and friends you care by not giving COVID-19 the opportunity to spread," they said. "The risks from COVID-19 remain high for all of us, especially with the variants of concern, which is why staying in our local community and avoiding any unnecessary travel is so important right now."

nfld Newfoundland and Labrador reports largest single-day increase with 53 COVID-19 cases Before Wednesday, the highest single-day total in N.L. was 32 — last March Newfoundland and Labrador reported 53 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, and 32 presumptive cases. The vast majority of the people who tested positive were under age 20, health officials said. It was by far the largest single-day increase since the first case in the province was identified in March. Before Wednesday, the highest single-day total was 32, on March 25. "We've had our few practice runs in Deer Lake, and Harbour Breton and Grand Bank. And now here we are with the with the big one. So we really need to start taking this seriously," said Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald during an afternoon update. "I believe that going so long with low case counts of COVID led to complacency and we are now seeing the repercussions." Almost all new cases were identified in the province's Eastern Health region, with the exception of one that involved a person who lives in the jurisdiction but tested positive in the Central Health region,