With a snap-election happening in just over a month in B.C., COVID-19 numbers continue to climb with officials urging people to step back.
In a written statement this afternoon (Sept. 22), Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 96 new COVID-19 cases province-wide in the past 24 hours.
Eleven of those cases belong to the Northern Health Authority, a day after 11 were added over a three-day period, for a new total of 266.
The region recorded its second COVID-19 related death yesterday (Sept. 21).
The provincial total is now 8,304 with 1,465 active cases.
Dr. Henry said 61 patients are in hospital with 22 of them currently in ICU. A total of 6,589 people have fully recovered.
No new deaths have been recorded in B.C., keeping the total at 227.
Earlier today, Henry and Elections BC outlined the voting procedures after John Horgan called a snap-election which has resulted in British Columbians heading to the polls with general voting day on Oct. 24.
The original date for the election was set for October of 2021.
Safety protocols were developed with the Office of the Provincial Health Office and WorkSafeBC to make sure everyone stays safe.
Protocol measures include:
- Physical distancing
- Capacity limits
- Election officials wearing personal protective equipment (such as masks and face-visors)
- Protective barriers
- Hand sanitizing stations
- Frequent cleaning of voting stations and frequently touched surfaces
- Election workers trained on safe workplace guidelines and pandemic protocols
Voters will be asked to sanitize their hands before and after voting, and are encouraged to wear a face mask or covering. You are also allowed to request a mail-in voting package from Elections BC if you don't feel safe going out to a public polling station.
There are still just two schools in northern B.C. that involve exposure of COVID-19:
- School District 28 = Quesnel Junior Secondary School (Sept. 10-11)
- School District 59 = Ecole Frank Ross Elementary (Sept. 10-11)
It also appears Prince George is doing a somewhat decent job when it comes to stopping any great spread of COVID-19.
According to the BC Centre for Disease Control’s (BCCDC) latest numbers, the city’s local health area had just three positive tests for the virus throughout the month of August.
It’s year-to-date total now sits at 36 since the pandemic hit the region in March.
Thanks to the BCCDC’s new graphic, we also now have a clear picture on Northern Health’s COVID-19-case spike last month.
Peace River North recorded 42 new cases in August, soaring from 13 at the end of July to 55 to-date.
On Aug. 17, Northern Health declared a public exposure event as a result of 12 virus-linked cases among residents who attended the prayer and worship conference, some of which were potentially from Fort St. John.
That exposure event has since been declared over as well as one in the Prespatou region, where multiple gatherings may have taken place that potentially contributed to the spike.
More cases, however, may be on the way for Prince George’s local health area by the end of September.
In it’s latest two-week graphic (Sept. 4 to 17), the northern interior, which stretches from Prince George to Valemount, Quesnel and Burns Lake, recorded 26 positive tests for COVID-19, totalling 69 since Jan. 1.
- with files from Kyle Balzer, PrinceGeorgeMatters, and Valerie Leung, Richmond News
(via BC Centre for Disease Control)
