A COVID-19 exposure event has been reported by UNBC at its Childcare Centre.
On Thursday (Dec. 3), Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Geoff Payne updated the Prince George post-secondary community of the potential exposure.
According to the UNBC Childcare Society, children and staff who attended the facility between Nov. 23 and 27 may have come into contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.
It explains via Northern Health that the risk of transmission is considered ‘low,’ but the Society is closed for two weeks from the date of exposure as a precaution with a plan to re-open on Monday (Dec. 14).
“As always, our top priority at UNBC is the health and safety of our community,” said Dr. Payne as Northern Health adds COVID-19 safety plans have been followed ‘precisely’ leading to the low-spread risk.
“I am thankful for the diligence shown by the UNBC Childcare Society that operates the facility, as well as the support from our health and safety office in ensuring that a COVID-19 safety plan is in place.”
Northern Health does not have a formal outbreak in place for the facility, precautionary or otherwise, and the authority has said in the past it will only declare those measures when there’s an increased risk to public health and safety.
Dr. Payne reminds the UNBC community that individuals will be contacted directly by Northern Health if they’ve had close contact with a lab-confirmed case.
You can visit the UNBC Childcare Society's website for full details on its COVID-19 safety plan.
In Prince George, precautionary outbreaks were declared for University Hospital of Northern BC (UHNBC) and Gateway Lodge on Dec. 3 after staff and patients at both locations tested positive for COVID-19.
The risk of transmission is also low in these facilities as well, and the formal outbreak declarations will each remain in place for 14 days.
As of this publication, Northern Health has detected 1,084 cases of COVID-19 since its first confirmed infection in March.
This includes 356 active cases, 13 people admitted into ICU out of 42 total hospitalizations, 720 recoveries and eight deaths.
