COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia

COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationBritish Columbia, Canada
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
Index caseVancouver
DatesJanuary 28, 2020 - July 26, 2024
(4 years, 5 months and 4 weeks)
Confirmed cases341,532 (1,790 Epi-Linked)
Deaths
2,766
Fatality rate0.81%
Vaccinations1st doses: 4,477,487 (86.42%)
2nd doses: 4,225,154 (81.54%)
3rd+ doses: 2,455,419
Government website
BC Centre for Disease Control

The COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia formed part of an ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). On January 28, 2020, British Columbia became the second province to confirm a case of COVID-19 in Canada. The first case of infection involved a patient who had recently returned from Wuhan, Hubei, China. The first case of community transmission in Canada was confirmed in British Columbia on March 5, 2020.

British Columbians took numerous emergency measures in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus, such as social distancing and self-isolation. On March 23, 2020, British Columbian Premier John Horgan announced the details of the province-wide emergency relief plan, which includes income support, tax relief and direct funding in order to mitigate economic effects of the pandemic. The public health emergency was ultimately ended on July 26, 2024, with all remaining public health orders rescinded.