New COVID-19 cases linked to actions during Labour Day weekend: B.C. government

Health officials in B.C. are urging residents to think of the consequences of their actions, as they linked the growing number of COVID-19 cases to behaviour during the Labour Day long weekend.

The health minister and the provincial health officer say in a joint statement that no one intends to pass the virus on to friends or family, and people need to think about how they socialize.

The province says it can take up to two weeks for symptoms of COVID-19 to fully develop, and people to make sure they do not inadvertently spread the virus.

The province announced 139 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, along with 40 historic cases from people who didn't have personal health numbers, bringing the total to 7,842.

There have also been three more deaths, increasing the death toll to 223.

59 people are in hospital and 20 of them are in intensive care.