What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. for June 26, 2020

THE LATEST:

• Health officials on Friday announced 10 more cases of COVID-19 in the province.
• One COVID-19-related death was also announced. A total of 174 people in B.C. have now died of the disease.
• Seventeen people are in hospital, including five in ICU.
• B.C. has had 2,878 confirmed cases of COVID-19 to date; 159 of them are still active. 2,545 people have recovered.
• Data shows First Nations communities in B.C. have fared better in the fight against the pandemic compared to the rest of the provincial population.
• The province has extended the timeline for temporary layoffs; the new provisions expire Aug. 30.
• B.C. has entered Phase 3 of its COVID-19 restart plan which allows B.C. residents to travel within the province "respectfully and safely." 
• The Vancouver Canucks confirmed that Vancouver is out of the running as a hub city for the NHL.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix reported 10 more cases of COVID-19 in B.C. Friday and one more death connected to the disease.

The person who died was in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. Their death brings the number of British Columbians who have died of the disease since the pandemic began to 174.

"We offer our condolences to everyone who has lost their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic," Henry and Dix said in a statement.

B.C. has confirmed 2,878 cases of COVID-19 to date. That number includes a one-case data correction from Thursday.

Of those 2,878 pepole, 2,545 have recovered and 159 still have active cases.

As of Friday, 17 people were in hospital with the disease including five in intensive care.

No new outbreaks were reported Friday in the community or in the health-care system.

The outbreak at Nicola Lodge in Port Coquitlam was declared over Friday. That leaves B.C. with five long-term care or assisted-living facilities and one acute-care facility with active outbreaks. There are two remaining community outbreaks.

First Nations successfully limiting cases

First Nations across B.C. have been able to limit the number of COVID-19 cases in their communities by strictly following health guidelines and taking quick action to protect their territories, data revealed Friday shows.

Dr. Shannon McDonald of the First Nations Health Authority said there have been 87 cases of the virus among Indigenous people in B.C. between Jan. 1 and June 14, and four deaths — a rate below the provincial average.

McDonald credited the success to the many sacrifices made by First Nations communities to follow health restrictions and restrict travel, including the willingness to cancel cultural and family gatherings integral to Indigenous culture.

The presentation was originally slated for last Friday, but was abruptly cancelled.

B.C. Health Minster Adrian Dix instead held an impromptu news conference, where he announced the province is investigating allegations that health-care staff in emergency rooms played a "game" to guess the blood-alcohol level of Indigenous patients.

Officials have described the behaviour as an overt example of widespread, deep-rooted racism in health care.

The government has appointed Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond, a former judge and longtime children's advocate in B.C., to investigate the claims and make recommendations to the province.

Public school teacher diagnosed

Henry announced 20 new confirmed cases on Thursday, including a public school teacher in the Fraser Health region.

Henry said the teacher was exposed through a social interaction and linked to a known case. All the teacher's contacts have been notified and no students have been exposed, she said.

It's the second COVID-19 case linked to schools since the province resumed in-class instruction June 1.

"We anticipated and planned for this potential," Henry said, noting that health officials are monitoring the situation very closely.

Vancouver won't be NHL hub city

Vancouver is out of the running as a hub for the NHL's return.

The Vancouver Canucks confirmed the decision in a tweet on Thursday. It means Toronto and Edmonton are the lone Canadian cities remaining in contention to host the NHL's Stanley Cup tournament.

Under B.C.'s plan, a team would have stayed in one hotel and travelled together to Rogers Arena for games using private transportation. Each team would also be responsible for any COVID-19 testing and agree not to interact with the public during a 14-day isolation period.

Premier John Horgan said he was disappointed by the news, but wouldn't bend public health rules for the NHL.

Dr. Henry echoed those sentiments at a news conference before the team made its announcement, saying public health was her main focus.

Henry said her direction to the hockey league was that if positive cases arose, it could mean suspending part of the series.

Dix told a news conference that B.C.'s hard line on rules to protect people from getting the novel coronavirus is the reason Vancouver should be a hub city.

He said he supported the idea of hockey being played again in Vancouver, but as minister of health he noted the rules that have contained the spread of COVID-19 apply to all.

Extended temporary layoffs

The province extended temporary layoff times Thursday to a maximum of 24 weeks, expiring Aug. 30.

Until recently, any layoffs longer than 13 weeks in any 20-week period were considered to be permanent and the employer would have to provide a notice of termination and pay any required severance.

On May 4, the government extended this period to 16 weeks if the employer and employee could come to an agreement.

In a statement, the Ministry of Labour said Thursday's extension will align with the extended federal Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

"This extension will provide even more certainty and flexibility," Minister of Labour Harry Bains said in a statement.

"This will also give additional time to ensure that employers and workers are able to craft agreements if there is a need to further extend temporary layoffs, while still protecting workers' rights to compensation for length of service."

The opposition Liberals had called for the temporary layoff provisions to be extended once the legislature returned, to save jobs and help businesses facing severance costs.

Lessons learned

B.C.'s Ministry of Education said schools learned a few lessons of their own in June when students returned to classes on a largely part-time basis.

In a statement, the ministry said those experiences will help shape what the next school year, beginning in September, will look like.

A steering committee of teachers, parents, First Nations, support staff, principals and vice-principals, school boards and trustees and public health representatives will discuss best practices and find solutions to problems, the ministry said.

The ministry says the hope is to increase the number of students attending classes safely, using a five-stage approach informed by health guidelines, "allowing schools to respond quickly in the event of a second wave."

The ministry said the June restart saw almost 200,000 students return to classrooms.

Phase 3 begins

B.C. Premier John Horgan announced the province has entered Phase 3 of its restart plan, further easing restrictions ahead of Canada Day.

The latest guidelines allow B.C. residents to travel responsibly within the province and for many tourism-related businesses to reopen under the guidance of the provincial health officer and WorkSafeBC, including hotels, resorts, spas and RV parks.

The film industry and select entertainment venues, such as movie theatres, are also getting the go-ahead.

As the province moves ahead with its Phase 3 restart, officials are reminding the public that the risk of infection still persists.

Residents are asked to maintain their COVID-19 health practices, including physical distancing, frequent handwashing  and wearing a mask when distancing isn't possible. 

Horgan also reminded the public to keep their social circles small, saying this summer is not the time for "large family gatherings and big parties."

"Although we are going to have a summer that's better than what we thought a few months ago, this is not a return to normal," said the premier.

READ MORE:

• Your guide to financial help available for people in B.C. affected by the crisis.
• How to apply for EI and COVID-19 emergency benefits.
• Get the latest advisories, updates and cancellations for B.C.

Top COVID-19 stories today

• B.C. extends layoff provisions until end of August, but some workers say further protections needed.
• After mid-season cancellation, B.C. film and TV industry wants to start rolling again.
• Playland returns to the PNE, along with a Canada Day celebration made for cars.

What's happening elsewhere in Canada

As of 10 p.m. PT on Wednesday, Canada had 102,622 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases. A CBC News tally of deaths based on provincial reports, regional health information and CBC's reporting stood at 8,551.

For a look at what's happening across the country and the world, check the CBC interactive case tracker.

If you have a COVID-19-related story we should pursue that affects British Columbians, please email us at impact@cbc.ca