A day after provincial health officials announced a three-week "circuit breaker" of additional public health restrictions, B.C. saw 840 new cases of COVID-19 – including 46 in the Northern Health region.
Active cases in the north dropped to 297, from 340 reported on Monday, according to data released by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control. The number of people hospitalized in the region with COVID-19 grew by two, to 32 on Tuesday – including 12 in critical care.
"We have seen the start of exponential growth of COVID-19 cases. To stop this upward trend from continuing, we are taking the necessary steps to protect our communities and get back on the path we want and need to be on," provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a joint statement. "We are asking people for your help – particularly over the next three weeks – to push our curve back down again. This means staying small, staying outside and staying with our same group of close contacts."
The number of active cases in the province grew to 7,062 on Tuesday, and 312 British Columbians were hospitalized with COVID-19 – including 78 in intensive care.
No new COVID-related deaths were reported on Tuesday, leaving the province's death toll from the pandemic at 1,455. A total of 120 people in the Northern Health region have died of COVID-19, since the start of the pandemic.
"There have been 320 new confirmed COVID-19 cases that are variants of concern in our province, for a total of 2,553 cases," Henry and Dix said. "Of the total cases, 313 are active and the remaining people have recovered. This includes 2,134 cases of the B.1.1.7 (U.K.) variant, 49 cases of the B.1.351 (South Africa) variant and 370 cases of the P.1 (Brazil) variant."
Three Prince George schools have had recent COVID-19 exposures, Northern Health reported. Duchess Park Secondary School had an exposure March 16-17, Heather Park Elementary had one March 17-19 and DP Todd Secondary School had an exposure March 18-19.
Northern Health declared a COVID-19 outbreak at the Prince Rupert Regional Hospital's patient care unit on Sunday. As of Sunday, four patients had tested positive for COVID, and additional testing was underway.
The region no longer has any active outbreaks in long-term care or assisted living facilities.
As of Tuesday's update, 37,427 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in the Northern Health region – 34,667 first doses and 2,760 second doses.
As of Tuesday, Prince George residents 73-years old and older (born in 1948 or earlier) are eligible to book a vaccination appointment. Indigenous residents 55 and older (born in 1966 or earlier) are also eligible.
Residents who have received a letter indicating they are considered clinically extremely vulnerable because of their health conditions are also eligible to book.
To book an appointment, call 1-844-255-7555 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., seven days a week.
On Monday, B.C., halted the use of the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine for those under 55 years of age. Anyone under 55 who received that vaccine who has questions, can go online to www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine/monitoring-vaccine-uptake-safety-and-effectiveness/#55plus.
A total of 5,167 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine had been administered in the Northern Health region, the B.C. CDC reported on Tuesday.
Henry and Dix urged British Columbians to help the fight against the pandemic by sticking to their household bubble as much as possible.
"We understand that the upcoming important religious holidays are often a time when we would normally get together with others to celebrate. This year, we need to ensure we are celebrating safely, which means not travelling to other communities and postponing those family dinners until it is safe to be together indoors again," they said. "This also means not travelling for leisure or vacation outside of our local communities or regions because the risk for all of us is too great right now."
