In the past 24-hours, two more people have died of COVID-19 in Northern Health and there have been 133 new cases reported.
Northern Health has now seen 210 confirmed deaths from the virus since the pandemic began.
The province is also now reporting 821 active cases in the region with 81 people currently hospitalized and 21 in critical care.
B.C.-wide, there’s been 758 new cases of COVID-19 reported today and there are 4,961 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Of the active cases, 434 individuals are in hospital and 155 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Including the two deaths reported in Northern Health, there’s been 10 deaths today for an overall total of 2,147 since the pandemic began.
There’s also a total of 33 active healthcare facility outbreaks, including two at including two at the University Hospital of Northern B.C. in Prince George and one the GR Baker Memorial Hospital in Quesnel and another at Wrinch Memorial Hospital in Hazelton.
B.C. is reporting that from Oct. 20-26, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 64.7 per cent of COVID-19 cases and from Oct. 13-26, they accounted for 74.0 per cent of hospitalizations.
Vaccinations in the general population continue to crawl along, as most British Columbians are already fully vaccinated.
Health officials administered initial vaccine doses to 2,964 British Columbians in the past day, as well as second doses of vaccine to 7,659 B.C. residents.
Across B.C., 89.8 per cent of eligible people older than 12 have had at least one dose of vaccine, with 84.9 per cent of eligible people having had two doses, according to the B.C. government.
Of the 4,160,780 B.C. residents who have received one dose of vaccine since mid-December, 2020, 94.5 per cent or 3,933,596, are considered fully vaccinated, with two doses. Earlier this week, the government said 90,425 British Columbians had received third doses of vaccine. No update to that number was provided today.
The province earlier this week also set out its plan and timeline for providing booster, or third shots of vaccine to everyone in B.C. that wants one.
There’s been a number of school exposures in Prince George Schools listed by Northern Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC).
The exposures include:
- Cedars Christian School – Oct. 12-15
- Ron Brent Elementary School – Oct. 12-15
- Pinewood Elementary School – Oct. 12 – 14
- Foothills Elementary School – Oct. 13 to 15
- Buckhorn Elementary School - Oct. 14 to 15
Northern Health posts notifications after contact tracing is complete for a case in a school setting, where an exposure letter has been circulated to one or more contacts within the school.
The Northern Health region also remains under its circuit breaker health orders, as vaccination rates in the region are low.
The health orders were announced in the Northern Health Region on Oct. 14 and remain in place until Nov. 19 and are as follows:
- Personal gatherings, both indoor and outdoor, are restricted to fully vaccinated people, including at private residences and vacation accommodation
- Indoor gathering: up to 5 people are permitted
- Outdoor gathering: up to 25 people are permitted
- All indoor and outdoor organized events require a safety plan and for attendees to wear a mask and present their BC Vaccine Card showing they are fully vaccinated
- Indoor event: up to 50 people are permitted
- Outdoor event: up to 100 people are permitted
- Worship services: virtual services are required
- Restaurants:
- Fast-food restaurants and unlicensed cafés without table service can provide take-out only or require patrons to present the BC Vaccine card showing they are fully vaccinated.
- Licensed establishments and those with table service must not serve alcohol between 10 p.m.-9 a.m. and must require patrons to present the BC Vaccine Card showing they are fully vaccinated.
- Bars and nightclubs (no meal service) will be closed
- Sport events spectators (indoor and outdoor) are limited to 50 per cent capacity, must have a safety plan, and require attendees to wear masks and present their BC Vaccine Card showing they are fully vaccinated
- with files from Glen Korstrom, Business in Vancouver
