More COVID-19 variant-of-concern cases have been recorded in Northern Health since its first was discovered last Monday (March 15).
Today (March 22), Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reported four additional lab-confirmed infections of a variant in the authority for an updated total of five, plus 133 new cases of the original coronavirus since Friday (March 19).
This was among 1,785 found in B.C. for a total of 92,571 cases since January 2020, 5,576 in the north since March 14, 2020.
Those five new variants in the region are among 166 detected in B.C., bringing that total to 1,366 with 237 listed as active.
There are 1,240 cases linked to the U.K. variant (B.1.1.7), 41 with the South African variant (B.1.351) and 85 of the Brazil variant (P.1).
Sadly, 16 more people in B.C. have died of COVID-19 for a to-date toll of 1,437; one did not take place this weekend but was added to the count.
Five of the deaths were recorded in Northern Health, raising its toll to 119.
"The variants of concern are moving quickly," Henry tsaid during an in-person conference this afternoon. She urged residents to stay vigilant by wearing masks, keeping a safe distance from others, and to regularly wash hands.
There are currently 5,290 active cases of the virus, to which 303 people are admitted in hospital with 80 in critical care or ICU, and 9,330 others are being actively monitored by public health officials.
Since the pandemic began in the province, 85,746 people have recovered from COVID-19 symptoms.
The latest three-day case counts are as follows:
- 556 = Friday to Saturday
- 598 = Saturday to Sunday
- 631 = Sunday to Monday
Henry said that there have been "several occasions" of outbreaks related to youth sports, that then spill over into workplaces.
"These are concerning," she said.
"Right now, we're not seeing rapidly explosive outbreaks, with the exception of some work environments where it's really difficult for people to maintain the safety protocols that are in place. But, we are seeing lots of small transmission events that lead to more, they lead to the next chain, the next chain. That makes it very challenging to break those chains of transmission."
In education, two Prince George schools were added to Northern Health's list of COVID-19 exposure events.
Heather Park Elementary was alerted a fifth time since September 2020, with March 11 and 12 cited as the dates, while College Heights Secondary was warned a fourth time for March 15 to 17.
An up-to-date list of northern B.C. schools marked for a COVID-19 exposure event in the month of March and listed with a self-monitoring period end date is as follows:
- College Heights Secondary (SD57) - March 15-17, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 31, 2021
- Heather Park Elementary (SD57) - March 11-12, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 26, 2021
- Notre Dame School (SD59) - March 8-9, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 23, 2021
- Ecole Roosevelt Park Community School (SD52) - March 10-12, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 26, 2021
- Lax Kxeen Elementary (SD52) - March 10-12, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 26, 2021
- Pacific Coast School (SD52) - March 10-12, 2021
- Self-monitoring ends March 26, 2021
- Caledonia Secondary (SD82) - March 5, 8-12, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 26, 2021
- Kildala Elementary (SD82) - March 12, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 26, 2021
- Cassie Hall Elementary (SD82) - March 10-12, 2021
- Self-monitoring periods ends March 26, 2021
- William Konkin Elementary (SD91) - March 10-12, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 26, 2021
- Mount Elizabeth Secondary (SD82) - March 10-12, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 26, 2021
- Hazelton Secondary (SD82) - March 11, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 25, 2021
- Ecole Roosevelt Park Community School (SD52) - March 9-11, 2021
- Sel-monitoring period ends March 25, 2021
- Charles Hays Secondary - March 8, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 22, 2021
- Charles Hays Secondary (SD52) - March 10-12, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 26, 2021
- Kildala Elementary (SD82) - March 11, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 25, 2021
- Chief Matthews School (Independent) - March 8, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 22, 2021
- Valemount Elementary (SD57) - March 8-9, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 23, 2021
- College Heights Secondary (SD57) - March 8-9, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 22, 2021
- Caledonia Secondary (SD82) - March 8-9, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 23, 2021
- Lax Kxeen Elementary (SD52) - March 8, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 22, 2021
- Prince Rupert Middle (SD52) - March 8-10, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 24, 2021
- Conrad Elementary (SD52) - March 8-9, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 22, 2021
- Skeena Middle (SD82) - March 1-5, 8, 2021
- Self-monitoring periods ends March 22, 2021
- Dawson Creek Secondary - South Peace campus (SD59) - March 5, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 19, 2021
- Kildala Elementary (SD82) - March 8, 2021
- Self-monitoring period ends March 22, 2021
- with files from Glen Kordstrom, Business In Vancouver
