B.C. has 46 COVID-19 cases, 7 new cases in the province

British Columbia now has 46 cases of COVID-19, including its first one on Vancouver Island.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says seven of the newly diagnosed people include two workers at a long term care home where four other employees have been infected.

The North Vancouver facility is also where a man in his 80s died earlier this week.

Henry says three of the new cases are linked to Egypt and include a visitor in his 70s whose relatives in the Fraser Valley are now also in isolation.

She says the province will put more focus on enhancing prevention of the novel coronavirus at long-term care facilities to protect vulnerable elderly people and staff.

Henry says more screening of employees and visitors will be done at the facilities, which will be off limits to groups of visitors.