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B.C. restaurants ordered to offer take-out or delivery only

Eight new COVID-19 cases reported on Vancouver Island, bringing total to 30
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B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry listens to a question during a news conference in Vancouver. March 2020.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry ordered B.C. restaurants to move to take-out or delivery only on Friday as the number of people who had tested positive in the province reached 348.

The provincial government ordered bars and nightclubs to close earlier this week, but restaurants had been allowed to serve on-site if could keep customers two metres apart.

Henry announced 77 new cases of COVID-19 in B.C. on Friday, bringing the total to 348.

There are now 30 cases on Vancouver Island, up from 22 on Thursday. There are 200 cases in the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, 95 in Fraser Health, 19 in Interior Health and four in Northern Health.

Twenty-two people are in hospital, up from 17 on Wednesday. There are 10 people in intensive care units.

Six people have recovered completely, while eight people have died.

In most instances, the province and health authority are not identifying where people who have tested positive are from, citing a need for patient privacy.

On Thursday, however, the University of Victoria confirmed that one of its students had tested positive for COVID-19, and Island Health issued a bulletin warning of possible exposure at the university and Saanich Commonwealth Place.

7-Eleven Canada said on Friday that there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19 at its Ladysmith store, and suggests with a sign posted on the door that customers from March 5-11 monitor how they are feeling.

In Greater Victoria, St. Michaels University School let its community know that a student had tested positive. It said it was unlikely the student had been infectious while at the school, which has been closed since March 13.

Island Health has not issued a bulletin about either of those cases.