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Northern Health adds 56 new COVID-19 cases as B.C. moves up immunization schedule

Eight additional deaths recorded
Jess Balzer
Jess Balzer
covid-19-photoshopped-prince-george-vaccination-clinic
COVID-19 vaccination spaces at Prince George's Civic and Conference Centre. Jess Fedigan/PrinceGeorgeMatters

The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter, but officials still urge caution.

In a written statement this afternoon (March 18), Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said 622 more cases of the virus were detected across B.C. during the past 24 hours, bringing the grand total to 90,049. 

Of the new infections, Northern Health added 54 for an updated authority total of 5,361 since March 2020.

There have been eight new deaths linked to the virus since Wednesday (March 17), raising the province's total to 1,419.

There are currently 4,941 active cases throughout B.C. with 286 people in hospital, 85 of which are admitted in ICU or critical care.

A total of 83,613 cases are officially classified as recovered. 

B.C. officials say there have been 136 newly-confirmed cases that are variants of concern. The total is now at 1,132 with 143 currently active.

There are 1,040 linked to the U.K. variant (B.1.1.7), 41 linked to the South African variant (B.1.351) and 51 with the Brazil variant (P.1). 

The province also announced major changes to its Immunization Plan earlier this afternoon.

Teachers, police officers and a host of other frontline workers will be among the first 320,000 British Columbians to receive vaccinations against COVID-19 outside of those in their age group.

Premier John Horgan and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry confirmed B.C. now expects to receive 340,000 doses of the AstraZeneca-Covishield vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII) by the end of May.

While the B.C. immunization plan calls for vaccinations based on descending age groups, provincial officials had previously promised to use the AstraZeneca vaccine for frontline workers.

Horgan highlighted professions such as teachers, police, grocery workers and those working at food processing plants when making the announcement.

Child care staff, manufacturing workers, wholesale/warehousing workers, staff in congregate housing, staff at correctional facilities, those working in cross-border transport, quarantine officers, certain postal workers, bylaw officers and those working at outbreak sites are also being prioritized in the coming weeks.

The province is selecting these workers based on concerns they’re in industries where full use of personal protective equipment and barriers can be challenging, outbreaks and clusters have occurred or are ongoing, and workers must live or work in congregate settings.

The province expects to administer the first 272,000 doses in April and another 69,000 by late May or early June.

Penny Ballem, executive lead for B.C.’s immunization plan, revealed the province is now expecting a combined 906,000 doses from Pfizer and Moderna to arrive between this week and April 18 on top of the AstraZeneca doses.

“We're very confident that we are going to be able to use this [AstraZeneca] vaccine in a very timely expedited way to move up our population protection,” she said, adding the province will be maintaining a reserve of 140,000 doses in the event of any shipping delays.

“We do not want to be cancelling any vaccination clinics that have already been scheduled.”

Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the AstraZeneca vaccine can be stored at fridge temperatures — not ultra-cold temperatures of up to -80C — making the AstraZeneca vaccine easier to transport and distribute.

Henry said the province is working with the B.C. Pharmacy Association to deliver those vaccines.

The Pfizer and Moderna doses will be primarily administered to the general population, although Horgan described B.C.’s vaccination plan as “flexible.”

Workers prioritized for vaccination with the AstraZeneca doses have the option of declining their jabs and awaiting shots within their same age group.

Northern Health announced yesterday (March 17) that industry workers at big project sites across its region will soon receive a COVID-19 vaccination ‘in the next few days.'

A statement from the authority says 15,000 doses of the AstraZeneca-Covishield vaccine, produced out of the Serum Institute of India (SII), are en route to the region to mitigate major worksites considered high-risk for potential spread.

  • LNG Canada (Kitimat)
  • Coastal GasLink
  • Trans Mountain Pipeline
  • BC Hydro's Site C dam (Fort St. John)
  • Rio Tinto Alcan (Kitimat)

Northern Health explains more industrial settings will be added to the targeted list in the weeks ahead.

“This, along with the Phase 2 - seniors 80 years of age and older, and Indigenous people 65 and older - will provide more protection for rural, remote and First Nations communities ahead of the start of Phase 3 in April,” reads a release from the authority.

Phase Two immunizations are underway in northern communities, including one set up at the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre that formally opened on Tuesday (March 16) to those that booked an appointment.

In education, an up-to-date list of northern B.C. schools marked for a COVID-19 exposure event in the month of March is as follows:

  • Hazelton Secondary - 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
  • Prince George Secondary (SD57) - March 3-5, 2021
  • Pineview Elementary (SD57) - March 3-5, 2021
  • Lax Kxeen Elementary (SD52) - March 3, 2021
  • Chief Matthews School (Independent) - March 4, 2021
  • Fraser Lake Elementary (SD91) - March 1-2, 2021
  • North Peace Secondary (SD60) - March 3-4, 2021
  • Charles Hays Secondary (SD52) - March 1-3, 2021
  • Ecole Roosevelt Park Community School (SD52) - March 2-5, 2021
  • Hart Highlands Elementary (SD57) - March 1, 2021
  • Mount Elizabeth Secondary (SD82) - March 1, 2021
  • Caledonia Secondary (SD82) - March 1-3, 2021
  • Houston Christian (Independent) - March 1-3, 2021
  • Houston Secondary (SD54) - March 1-3, 2021
  • Twain Sullivan Elementary (SD54) - March 1-3, 2021
  • Silverthorne Elementary (SD54) - March 1-3, 2021
  • Annunciation School Prince Rupert (Independent) - March 1-3, 2021

Northern Health's school-exposure section explains the following:

  • Contact tracing is initiated to determine how the individual was infected and who they were in close contact with
  • We identify and notify close contacts who may be at an increased risk, and advise them to self-isolate and monitor for symptoms for 14 days
  • Only Public Health can determine who is a close contact
    • Learning groups, friends or other connections may not be determined to be a close contact
  • Public Health staff works closely with the school and school district throughout the case and contact management process to maintain close communication with the school community

- with files from Kyle Balzer, PrinceGeorgeMatters, Tyler Orton, Business In Vancouver