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Concerns continue as Northern Health boasts B.C.'s highest COVID-19 positive-test return rate

Northern B.C.'s test turn-around time is sitting at 34.5 hours
Jess Balzer
Jess Balzer
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Aerial view of Connaught Hill Park and downtown Prince George. (via City of Prince George)

There's one word describing the north's current COVID-19 situation: concerning. 

Cases are still surging while hospitalizations are also on a steep incline, which is pushing the health care system in the region to its max, where resources were already limited before the pandemic landed in March. 

Christmas break has also started for schools throughout Northern Health, something that may be needed for the time-being as the list of exposure events has rapidly expanded over the past month. 

But perhaps the most concerning part is that Northern Health currently has the highest positivity rate for the virus in all of B.C., currently at 10.2 per cent from the most recent data from the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC). 

The rates that are recorded are a seven-day rolling average. The data currently resides as of Thursday (Dec. 17). 

Yesterday's rate (Dec. 18) was 12 per cent alone after 47 positive cases were recorded out of 383 tests were administered.

The highest rate for the region was on Dec. 14 at 10.7 per cent.

Other health authorities in B.C. have much lower positivity rate with Vancouver Coastal Health currently at 3.5 per cent, Island Health at one per cent, Interior Health at 6.8 per cent and Fraser Health at 7.7 per cent. 

As of Dec. 17, the rolling seven-day average for positive returns across the province is 5.8 per cent.

health-authority-seven-day-rolling-averagesThe latest data from the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) shows Northern Health (Green) has the highest positivity return rate in the province as of Dec. 17. / BCCDC

Northern B.C.'s test turn-around time is sitting at 34.5 hours; the province as a whole is 23.3 hours.

As of publication (Dec. 19, 1:15 p.m.) Northern Health has a recorded total of 1,509 cases (47 new yesterday) while 419 are currently active. 

There are 45 people in hospitals throughout the north while 20 of those are currently in ICU. 

The authority has 15 recorded deaths. 

The BCCDC also released the latest geographic data for the province yesterday (Dec. 18). 

Geographic Distribution of COVID-19 by Health Service Delivery Area of Case Residence numbers show from Dec. 11 to 17, the northern interior region (which includes Prince George) recorded 115 cases alone. 

Northwest B.C. added 58 while the northeast added 39.

From Jan. 1 to Dec. 17., the northern interior has seen 755 cases while the northwest has recorded 321 and northeast B.C. has 386.

Geographic Distribution of COVID-19 by Local Health Area of Case Residence data shows Prince George has had 95 COVID-19 cases from Dec. 6 to 12. 

The Nechako areas recorded 43 while Terrace added 22. 

In a one-on-one interview on Dec. 3 with Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, she said the developments in the north are concerning to her and her team, adding the region's contact tracing is getting challenging. 

"There's still really important things we can do and Northern Health is keeping up with the contact tracing part but it is getting more challenging," she said.

"So yes, it is concerning. It's concerning because we now have quite a few people who are in hospital in the north and we all know that the capacity in the north for critical care and hospital care is limited and we want to make sure we have the resources for everybody who needs health care in the north."

Numerous schools have been listed by Northern Health for COVID-19 exposure events with some in the past few weeks being listed for second, third or fourth times while some are being warned of their first events. 

The full current list is as follows: 

  • Mountain View Christian Academy (Independent) - Dec. 7-8, 2020
  • Thornhill Primary School (SD82) - Dec. 4, 7-11, 14-17, 2020
  • Walnut Park Elementary (SD54) - Dec. 9-10, 2020
  • Shas Ti-Kelly Road Secondary (SD57) - Dec. 7-11, 2020; Dec. 1-2, 2020; Nov. 30, 2020
  • St. Mary's Catholic School (Diocese of Prince George) - Dec. 7-10, 2020; Dec. 3-4, 2020; Dec. 1-2, 2020
  • College Heights Secondary (SD57) - Dec. 10 and 11, 2020
  • D.P. Todd Secondary (SD57) - Dec. 1 and 2, 2020
  • Dawson Creek Secondary - South Peace Campus (SD59) - Dec. 8, 2020; Nov. 16-18, 2020; Sept. 23-25, 2020
  • Caledonia Secondary (SD82) - Nov. 30-Dec. 4, 2020; Dec. 1-2, 2020; Nov. 30, 2020
  • Smithers Secondary (SD54) - Dec. 7 and 10, 2020
  • Westwood Elementary (SD57) - Dec. 8, 2020
  • Heather Park Elementary (SD57) - Dec. 1-2, 3, 4, 7-8, 2020
  • Fort Nelson Secondary (SD81) - Dec. 7, 2020; Oct. 15-16, 2020
  • Skeena Middle (SD82) - Dec. 4 and 7, 2020
  • Ecole Central Elementary (SD60) - Dec. 4, 2020
  • Nak’albun Elementary (Independent) - Dec. 3-4, 2020; Nov. 22-25, 2020; Sept. 16-18, 2020
  • Ecole Central Elementary (SD60) - Dec. 2-3, 2020
  • Suwilaawks Community School - Terrace (SD82) - Dec. 1-2, 3-4, 2020; Nov. 27, 30, 2020
  • Kitwanga Elementary (SD82) - Dec. 1-3, 2020
  • Prince George Secondary (SD57) - Dec. 1-3, 2020; Nov. 18, 2020; Oct. 2, 2020
  • Bert Bowes Middle (SD60) - Dec. 1-4, 2020; Nov. 16, 18-20, 30, 2020
  • Margaret Ma Murray Community School (SD60) - Dec. 1-4, 2020; Nov. 23-26, 27, 30, 2020
  • Uplands Elementary (SD82) - Dec. 1, 2020; Nov. 30, 2020
  • Fort St. James Secondary (SD91) - Dec. 1, 2020; Nov. 19-20, 20-26, 30, 2020
  • Veritas Catholic School (Diocese of Prince George) - Nov. 30, 2020
  • Anne Roberts Young Elementary (SD60) - Nov. 30, 2020
  • Bert Ambrose Elementary (SD60) - Nov. 30, 2020
  • David Hoy Elementary (SD91) - Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2020; Nov. 25-26, 2020; Sept. 17-18, 2020
  • William Konkin Elementary in Burns Lake (SD91) - Nov. 16, 23-24, 23-27, 2020
  • Energetic Learning Campus in Fort St. John (SD60) - Nov. 16-20, 23-27, 30, 2020
  • Peden Hill Elementary (SD57) - Nov. 12-17, 17-20, 24-27, Nov. 30, 2020
  • Centennial Christian in Terrace (Independent) - Nov. 23-26, 2020
  • North Peace Secondary (SD60) - Nov. 10, 12-13, 16, 19-20, 24-26, 2020
  • Sacred Heart Elementary (Diocese of Prince George) - Nov. 25-27, 2020
  • Charlie Lake Elementary (SD60) - Nov. 23-24, 16-26, 2020
  • Ecole College Heights Elementary (SD57) - Nov. 19-20, 20-24, 2020
  • Beaverly Elementary (SD57) - Nov. 23-24, 2020
  • Foothills Elementary (SD57) - Nov. 23, 2020
  • Lakes District Secondary (SD91) - Nov. 23, 2020
  • Chetwynd Secondary (SD59) - Nov. 13, 2020
  • Van Bien Elementary (SD57) - Nov. 9-10, 2020
  • Ron Brent Elementary (SD57) - Oct. 30, 2020
  • Hudson's Hope Elementary-Junior Secondary (SD60) - Oct. 26-Nov. 4, 2020
  • Immaculate Conception School (Diocese of Prince George) - Oct. 21-23, 2020
  • Roosevelt Park Elementary (SD52) - Oct. 21-22, 2020
  • Notre Dame in Dawson Creek (Private) - Oct. 13-14, 2020
  • Quesnel Junior Secondary (SD28) - Sept. 10-11, 15-18, 2020
  • Ecole Frank Ross Elementary (SD59) - Sept. 10-11, 2020

Travel exposures are also beginning to appear again with Prince George. 

For the 20th time since the virus reached the region in March, a flight involving YXS Airport was flagged for exposure and its a first for the month of December.

Air Canada/Jazz flight 8208 with service to Vancouver on Wednesday (Dec. 16) has been listed by the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) when travellers may have come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

Passengers who sat in rows 14 through 20 are cited that those affected by the alert.

This is the fifth Air Canada flight departing or arriving in Prince George.

A WestJet flight (3287) on Oct. 22 from Vancouver to Prince George was also recently added to the BCCDC's list with rows three to nine possibly affected.

Since March 27, passengers seated near a case of COVID-19 that was recognized after arrival are no longer being directly notified of their potential exposure, but are asked to check online and monitor their symptoms.

The full list of flights is as follows: 

- with files from Kyle Balzer, PrinceGeorgeMatters