The Premier is telling people to use common sense in response to the COVID-19 cluster caused by partiers in downtown Kelowna.

There are now at least 78 cases of the virus linked to people partying in Kelowna around Canada Day, and that includes seven staff members at the Kelowna General Hospital.

As of yesterday, about 1,000 people province-wide were self-isolating – many because they are connected to the Kelowna outbreak. Interior Health has issued warnings of potential exposure to a number of public places in that city, including a pair of local restaurants, a spin class studio, as well as two resort properties.

John Horgan says B.C. health officials did anticipate an increase in case loads after we moved to phase three last month.

“That doesn’t mean that you can be reckless. Some of the images I’ve seen in Kelowna – and look, it took me back to my youth. My buddies from here would go to the Okanagan to enjoy the good hospitality and spectacular weather and great beaches at Skaha and Okanagan – so I know what’s going on here. I’ve got young men in my life who also like to travel and enjoy a good time,” he said.

“But you need to do that in smaller groups, you need to do that with people who you know. It’s not the time to make new friends, it’s the time to reinforce the relationships that you do have.”

Horgan says he also doesn’t think the province moved too quickly to get into phase three of reopening.

Much like the mayor of Kelowna Colin Basran did earlier this week, Horgan says people need to behave in places they visit the same way they would in their own community.

“When it comes to personal activity in private places, that’s where we have to appeal to people’s common sense. And their general decency and their respect for their neighbors and their loved ones. That’s what I’m trying to do today, and that’s what Dr. Henry has been doing from the beginning. We don’t believe in penalizing people for personal behaviour. We prefer instead to ask them to behave better.”