COVID-19 has now taken its youngest life in B.C. since the virus reached the province more than a year ago.
Today (April 26), Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry confirmed an infant out of Interior Health was killed by the virus earlier this year as a BC Coroners Service investigation recently concluded into the cause of their death.
She says they were admitted into BC Children's Hospital and ultimately died in January, and with its addition to this weekend's death count of 17, the toll has now reached 1,571.
This comes a week after announcing a toddler under the age of two in Fraser Health also died from COVID-19 complications and, at the time, was the youngest in B.C.
Additionally, Dr. Henry reported a 72-hour total of 2,491 lab-confirmed infections found across the province, bringing the overall total since January 2020 to 126,249.
This included 104 new COVID-19 cases out of Northern Health, surpassing a new plateau in the pandemic to now 7,080 since March 2020.
The latest three-day case counts are as follows:
- 881 = Friday to Saturday
- 847 = Saturday to Sunday
- 763 = Sunday to Monday
- Lowest since March 24 when 716 cases were identified
While the daily number of new COVID-19 cases in B.C. stayed out of the four-figure range since Friday (April 23), people being actively monitored for the virus is still high.
Currently, there are 12,340 people under the watchful eye of public health officials after coming in contact with someone who recently tested positive for COVID-19, alongside 8,199 active cases.
There are 158 people admitted into critical care or ICU among 484 provincial hospitalizations and 116,241 recoveries.
It also appears rapid COVID-19 transmission in certain corners of northern B.C. remains a struggle.
The latest Geographic Distribution of COVID-19 by Health Service Delivery Area of Case Residence data shows, as of Saturday (April 24), the northeast recorded 140 infections from April 16-22, 2021.
The northern interior, which includes Prince George, saw 61 new cases, while the northwest added 34 according to the BC Centre for Disease Control.
The increase in transmission may have likely led to an influx of school exposures in the northeast as eight of the 10 most recent institutions added to Northern Health's list are in the areas of Dawson Creek or Fort St. John.
An up-to-date list of northern B.C. schools marked for COVID-19 exposure warnings in April is as follows:
- École Central Elementary (SD60) - April 14, 2021
- Tremblay Elementary (SD59) - April 12, 15 and 19, 2021
- École Frank Ross Elementary (SD59) - April 14, 2021
- Dawson Creek Secondary - Central Campus (SD59) - April 14, 16 and 19, 2021
- Crescent Park Elementary (SD59) - April 13, 15-16, 2021
- Fort St. James Secondary (SD91) - April 14-16, 2021
- North Peace Secondary (SD60) - April 15-16, 2021
- Doctor Kearney Middle (SD60) - April 15-16, 2021
- Mountain Christian School Society (Independent) - April 16, 2021
- Buckhorn Elementary (SD57) - April 12, 2021
- Cassie Hall Elementary (SD82) - April 5-6, 12-16, 2021
- Thornhill Primary School (SD82) - April 13-15, 2021
- Thornhill Elementary (SD82) - April 13-15, 2021
- Doctor Kearney Middle (SD60) - April 14, 2021
- North Peace Secondary (SD60) - April 14, 2021
- Mountain Christian School Society (Independent) - April 13-15, 2021
- North Peace Secondary (SD60) - April 8-9, 13, 2021
- Freedom Thinkers Education (Independent) - April 12-13, 2021
- Duncan Cran Elementary (SD60) - April 7-9, 12-13, 2021
- Bert Bowes Middle (SD60) - April 8-9, 13, 2021
- Doctor Kearney Middle (SD60) - April 8-9, 2021
- R.L. Angus Elementary (SD81) - April 12-13, 2021
- Energetic Learning Campus (SD60) - April 14-15, 2021
- Buckhorn Elementary (SD57) - April 13-15, 2021
- Duncan Cran Elementary (SD60) - April 6-8, 12-14, 2021
- Evelyn Dickson Elementary (SD91) - April 9, 2021
- Chetwynd Secondary (SD59) - April 12, 2021
- Morfee Elementary (SD57) - April 3-5, 2021
- Prince George Secondary (SD57) - April 7, 12-16, 2021
- Energetic Learning Campus, Fort St. John (SD60) - April 12-13, 2021
- Hudson's Hope Elementary and Junior Secondary (SD60) - April 12, 2021
- Doctor Kearney Middle (SD60) - April 12-13, 2021
- North Peace Secondary (SD60) - April 12-13, 2021
- Tremblay Elementary (SD59) - April 7-9, 2021
- College Heights Secondary (SD57) - April 12-13, 2021
- École Frank Ross Elementary (SD59) - April 6-9, 2021
- Houston Christian School (Independent) - April 7-9, April 12-13, 2021
- Notre Dame Catholic School (Independent) - April 7, 2021
- Twain Sullivan Elementary (SD54) - April 7-9, April 12-13, 2021
- Houston Secondary (SD54) - April 7-9, 12-13, 2021
- Sliverthorne Elementary (SD54) - April 7-9, April 12-13, 2021
- Energetic Learning Campus (SD60) - April 8-9, 2021
- École Mountain View Elementary (SD82) - April 6, 2021
- École College Heights Elementary (SD57) - April 6-8, 2021
- St. Anthony's Catholic School, Kitimat (Independent) - April 6, 2021
- Sacred Heart Elementary (Diocese of Prince George) - April 6, 2021
- Kispiox Community School (Independent) - April 6, 2021
- Mountain Christian School Society (Independent) - April 6, 2021
- Prince George Secondary (SD57) - April 6, 2021
- Canalta Elementary (SD59) - April 6, 2021
- Duchess Park Secondary (SD57) - April 6, 2021
- Kersley Elementary (SD28) - April 6-8, 2021
- with files from Jess Fedigan, PrinceGeorgeMatters, and Glen Korstrom, Business In Vancouver
