What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. on April 6, 2020

THE LATEST:

• B.C. recorded 63 new cases over a 48-hour time period, and one additional death.
• A total of 1,266. COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in B.C.
• 783 of those cases have recovered from the illness.
• 140 patients are hospitalized, with 72 in intensive care.
• 39 people have died.
• 23 long-term care homes now have cases, along with two B.C. prisons.
• The City of Vancouver has made 14,300 visits to businesses to make sure they're following public health orders.
• One business licence has been suspended in Vancouver and 19 orders to comply have been issued.
• Monday will see further reductions in TransLink service.

B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 63 new coronavirus cases in the province on Monday, bringing the total number of identified cases to 1,266.

The update reflects two 24-hour time periods, with 26 new cases recorded between Saturday and Sunday, and 37 new cases recorded between Sunday and Monday.

One more person has died from the virus. As of Monday afternoon there were 140 people in hospital in B.C., with 72 people in intensive care.

The application portal for the federal Canada Emergency Response Benefit is now open for eligible Canadians who have lost their income because of COVID-19. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said 240,000 people had already successfully applied for the benefit within the first few hours after the process opened Monday morning.

The emergency financial aid offers $2,000 a month for up to four months to help businesses and families struggling to make ends meet because of the pandemic, including those not eligible for EI, contract employees and freelancers.

The application window has been staggered by birth month. People born in January, February and March can apply Monday. People with birthdays later in the year will have their days later this week.

Speaking just after 8 a.m. PT, the prime minister said changes will be announced in "coming days" to offer help for people who aren't currently eligible for the CERB, such as students and people whose hours have been reduced but not cut entirely.

"There are groups of people who aren't benefitting from the [CERB] who probably should," Trudeau said.

B.C. must stay committed to distancing: Dr. Bonnie Henry

Henry said that B.C.'s curve appears to be flattening, with the percentage of cases no longer increasing daily.

She said this tentative bit of good news is thanks to luck, timing and early preparation on B.C.'s part. She said B.C. recorded some of the earliest cases of COVID-19 in the country and was able to implement measures earlier on.

But Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix urged B.C. residents to remain steadfast in their commitment to social distancing, especially as temperatures rise and a number of religious holidays come up over the long weekend.

• If you have recovered from COVID-19 and want to share your experience, please email us at [email protected].

Henry also announced an additional outbreak in a federal correctional facility in B.C.

With the goal of physical distancing in mind, the City of Vancouver says staff have made 14,300 visits to local businesses to make sure they're complying with public health orders. Staff have issued 19 orders to comply with those orders, and suspended the licence of one business.

Meanwhile, they've also completed 500 inspections of construction sites, and handed out nine warnings about keeping workers at a distance from each other.

Transportation reductions

Starting Monday, there will be a further reduction of transit services in Metro Vancouver on bus and SeaBus due to plunging ridership and financial pressure. 

The SeaBus will only run every 30 minutes, all day long, instead of the usual 15-minute intervals

As of Wednesday, West Coast Express Train 4 will be cancelled. Buses with very low ridership will have reduced service.

Further passenger limits for BC Ferries

The federal government is bringing in further measures to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 on commercial passenger vessels and ferries.

Ferries and essential passenger vessel operators are to immediately reduce the maximum number of passengers carried on board by half in an effort to comply with physical distancing rules.

Transport Canada said operators will also implement alternative practices to reduce the spread of the virus, such as keeping people in their vehicles.

It said the measures will be in place until at least June 30.

BC Ferries chopped its service by half this weekend after it said ridership was down by 80 per cent.

In response, Harbour Air said it is resuming daily flights between downtown Vancouver and Nanaimo to bridge the service gap. A statement said the flights are only to "support essential travel for a community that now has limited options" and anyone who does not need to travel should stay home. 

• Your guide to COVID-19 and its impact on life in Canada
• How to apply for EI and COVID-19 emergency benefits
• Get the latest advisories, updates and cancellations for B.C.

Top stories today

• A drive-thru COVID-19 testing site has been established in Burnaby's Central Park for health care workers and other patients referred by their family doctor. 
• The province is preventing firefighters in B.C. from attending health emergency calls involving flu-like symptoms in order to protect them from contracting COVID-19 and to preserve personal protective equipment.
• Call-takers staffing 24/7 mental health phone lines say they are speaking with more people than normal, and most want to talk through their anxieties about the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Sign language interpreters who have become fixtures of the coronavirus briefings talk about sharing the limelight.
• Baking bread is taking off at home as the pandemic stretches on.

What's happening elsewhere in Canada

There are now more than 15,800 test-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canada, with cases recorded in every province and territory except Nunavut. As of 7:30 a.m. PT on Monday, CBC News has counted a total of 307 COVID-19 related deaths in Canada. The provinces and territories that offer information on people who have recovered listed more than 3,280 COVID-19 cases as resolved.

The numbers, which are updated at least daily by the provinces and territories, 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 [email protected].