What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. on May 8, 2020

THE LATEST:

• 29 new cases of COVID-19 making for a total of 2,315 cases provincewide.
• Dr. Bonnie Henry announced one additional death in the Fraser Health Authority.
• To date 127 people have died from COVID-19 in the province. 
• Of those who have tested positive, 1,579 people have recovered.
• B.C. lost 396,500 jobs in March and April due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The province has extended its deadline to move people out of Victoria tent cities by 11 days.
• Resuming elective surgeries in B.C. — and catching up on the backlog — could take two years and cost $250 million, officials said.
• Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said the city is taking a go-slow approach to reopening services and facilities.
• Some outdoor facilities like tennis courts will open this weekend.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 29 new cases and one additional death from COVID-19 on Friday.

To date, 127 people have died from the virus in the province, while of those who have tested positive, 1,579 people have recovered.

Henry said on Friday that 73 people remain in hospital for treatment, 20 are in intensive care.

Two cases were removed from the total number of cases recorded in the Island Health region due to a data error. The provincial total on Thursday was 2,286. On Friday it was 2,315.

She said the province had flattened the curve of infections, but asked residents to keep up efforts to maintain physical distancing, even as restrictions lift.

"We must continue with what we have been doing, because it is working," she said in a statement. "We have flattened our curve and must keep it there."

The next daily briefing by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry will be on Saturday at noon.

Unemployment

B.C. lost 396,500 jobs in March and April according to new data released Friday.

The provincial unemployment rate now sits at 11.5 per cent, up from 5.5 per cent at the start of the year. 

Finance Minister Carole James says the numbers are staggering, and emblematic of the crisis that has hit the entire country during COVID-19.

Nearly half the job losses — 47 per cent — are in the food service and retail sectors. 

In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the emergency wage subsidy program will be extended past June, with details to be released next week. 

The federal government announced on Thursday a $4-billion program to top up the wages of essential workers. Provincial governments will contribute $1 billion of the funds and will be in charge of determining which workers receive the help.

Extension to tent city transition

The province has extended the deadline for people to leave tent cities in Victoria until May 20.

The provincial government originally set Saturday as a deadline for campers to be out of Vancouver's Oppenheimer Park as well as Topaz and Pandora parks in Victoria.

On Friday afternoon, Social Development Minister Shane Simpson said the province has worked to ensure those living in Oppenheimer Park are moved into temporary accommodations by May 9.

However, he said the mainly non-profit organizations offering the accommodations asked for more time to prepare for residents of Topaz and Pandora parks.

As of May 7, more than 320 campers in Vancouver and Victoria had been moved to local hotels by the provincial government.

Tennis anyone?

On Friday several municipalities announced plans to open outdoor tennis courts and other similar facilities for the weekend, but with rules on how people could use them.

The premier has said the provincial restart will happen in phases, spaced out in two- to four-week time periods. It will begin with allowing small gatherings, like backyard barbecues, as long as those participating aren't sick or showing any symptoms of COVID-19.

Absent from the announcement was an official reopening date and an exhaustive list of hard-and-fast rules for what British Columbians can and cannot do under the new guidelines.

The onus has been left on the public to collectively make choices that will limit regular interactions to below 60 per cent of normal and prevent a resurgence of the virus. 

British Columbians could be dining out at restaurants starting June 1, but reduced capacity and physical barriers mean it'll be a different experience than what we're used to.

READ MORE: How B.C. plans to ease COVID-19 restrictions

At a briefing Thursday afternoon, Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said he plans to poll residents and meet with leaders of various industries in the city to determine how to reopen community facilities.

Libraries, non-essential community centres, playgrounds and outdoor recreation facilities like tennis courts have been shut down for more than six weeks in Vancouver and similar closures have taken place across B.C. communities.

Some Vancouver gym owners say they're in no rush to reopen fitness studios and are looking at measures to minimize risk, including reducing class sizes and increasing cleaning.

Meantime, the province said it could take up to two years and at least $250 million in extra funding to address the extensive backlog of elective surgeries postponed in B.C. since the peak of the pandemic.

• 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.'s unemployment rate rose by nearly two-thirds from March to April, Statistics Canada said Friday, with hundreds of thousands of jobs wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A large majority of British Columbians are giving a thumbs-up to the province's plans to ease restrictions and gradually reopen the economy.
• Dentists across British Columbia are trying to figure out how to reopen their practices safely and when they do, you can expect some changes at your next appointment.
• Artists fear it could be mid-2021 before they take the stage again.
• Tennis courts, other parks in Metro Vancouver open up with special rules for weekend.
• Gyms will reopen eventually, but online workouts are here to stay, studio owners say.
• No reopen dates yet for City of Vancouver services in next phase of COVID-19 recovery.

What's happening elsewhere in Canada

As of Friday, Canada had 66,434 confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19. A CBC News tally of COVID-19-related deaths based on provincial figures, regional health data and CBC's reporting listed 4,678 deaths in Canada, with another two abroad.

The numbers are not a complete picture, as they don't account for people who haven't been tested, those being investigated as a potential case and people still waiting for test results. 

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