There were 88 new COVID-19 cases in B.C. in the last 24 hours, including two in the Interior Heath region.

That’s down a bit from recent days when the new cases were around 100 or more, and despite 10,899 tests in the last 24 hours, a record number, with less than one per cent testing positive.

The sources of the new cases have shifted away from nightclubs, bars and big gatherings, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said during her COVID-19 update today, Oct. 1.

“We are seeing social gatherings being an important part, maybe a third of new cases,” she said. “Most are now in private homes, some are in work places and, unfortunately in long-term care.”

There are now smaller clusters and people who are testing positive are infecting fewer people than they were earlier. That means public health officials have kept the spread of COVID-19 under control, Dr. Henry said.

One person in the Fraser Health region died, bringing the death toll in B.C. to 235.

There are 1,261 active cases, 3,093 people are being monitored and 7,695 have recovered.

Since the start of the pandemic there have been 9,220 cases in B.C. including 4,712 in Fraser Health region, 3,360 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 535 in the Interior Health region, 209 in the Vancouver Island Health region, 317 in the Northern Health region and 87 among non-residents.

Dr. Henry said contract testers have been doing a very good job dealing with people who have tested positive in schools and they are sending some people home to self-isolate.

There have been no outbreaks in schools, which she defined as situations where the disease is spreading and health authorities haven’t been able to determine the source.

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