Be brave!
That's a new addition to Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry's COVID-19 motto of 'Be kind. Be calm. Be safe' message to B.C. as the province officially enters its second wave of the pandemic following another significant spike took place this past weekend.
Since Friday (Oct. 16), 499 cases were counted, according to Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry's update today (Oct. 19), which included just five new positive tests in Northern Health for a regional total of 355 since March.
B.C. now has 11,687 total cases since the pandemic reached out border in January; 1,639 are active and 9,753 people have fully recovered.
There are now more than 4,000 people being actively monitored for COVID-19 after coming into contact with someone who has been infected previously.
The three-day daily case count from this weekend was as follows:
- 172 = Friday to Saturday
- 153 = Saturday to Sunday
- 174 = Sunday to Monday
- Nine off the provincial record of 183 (Sept. 16)
Northern Health's daily case-count record is 12 from Sept. 15.
Unfortunately, two more people died from the virus since Friday (Oct. 16), none in northern B.C., for a new toll of 253.
Of the active cases, there are five less people in hospital from Friday at 67 with 19 in critical care, seven less than Dr. Henry's last update.
"We want to avoid a rapid increase in new cases that overwhelms the health-care system, making it more difficult to care for those who are unwell – whether from COVID-19 or another illness," said Dr. Henry.
"The best way to do that is to take precautions and use our layers of protection, no matter where we may be.
"Finding that balance also means quickly finding new cases and clusters of COVID-19. Our contact tracing teams are working around the clock to track every new case that emerges."
Northern Health's first public COVID-19 exposure was potentially contracted by a passenger(s) that used Prince George Taxi between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Oct. 2 to 3.
According to the BC Centre for Disease Control's (BCCDC) latest two-week case map, the northern interior, which includes Prince George, reported 15 COVID-19 cases between Oct. 2 and 15.
Since the start of the pandemic, the region has counted a total of 120 positive tests.
Northern Health, as a whole, has tallied 27 cases for the virus in the last two-week period.
The BC Centre for Disease Control's Health Service Delivery Area map, Sept. 25 to Oct. 8. (via BCCDC)Last month, Prince George's local health area recorded 20 COVID-19 cases for a total of 56 since March.
Six regional schools have been potentially exposed to COVID-19:
- Prince George Secondary School (SD57) - Oct. 2, 2020
- Dawson Creek Secondary School - South Peace Campus (SD59) - Sept. 23-25, 2020
- David Hoy Elementary School (SD91) - Sept. 17-18, 2020
- Quesnel Junior Secondary School (SD28) - Sept. 10-11, 15-18, 2020
- Nak’albun Elementary School (Independent) - Sept. 16-18, 2020
- Ecole Frank Ross Elementary School (SD59) - Sept. 10-11, 2020
Dr. Henry's next update is slated for tomorrow (Oct. 20) on or after 3 p.m.
