Coronavirus: B.C. again hits more than 1K cases in a single day, six new deaths

B.C. is back to more than 1,000 COVID-19 COVID-19 cases in a day.

In a written statement this afternoon (April 14), Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said 1,168 more tests came back positive for the virus across B.C. during the past 24 hours for a new grand total of 114,870.

Of those infections, Northern Health added 28, raising the authority total to 6,621 since March 14, 2020.

There have been six new COVID-linked deaths, which raises the province's toll to 1,521.

BREAKING - B.C. back to more than 1,000 cases in a day with 1,168. #bcpoli #covidbc #covid19bc #covid19 #bced #cdnpoli #cityofpg @PGMatters
— Jess Balzer (@jessicajbalzer) April 14, 2021

There are currently 9,821 active cases throughout B.C. with 397 people in hospital, 120 of which are admitted in ICU or critical care.

Another 16,304 are under active public health monitoring due to being exposed to someone diagnosed with the virus, while 103,360 are classified as recovered.

Prov. total - 114,870
New Northern Health - 26
Active B.C. - 9,821
Public health monitoring prov. - 16,304
Hospital B.C. - 397
ICU B.C. - 120
New deaths, total B.C. - 6/1,521#bcpoli #covidbc #covid19bc #covid19 #bced #cdnpoli #cityofpg @PGMatters
— Jess Balzer (@jessicajbalzer) April 14, 2021

While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to produce large passenger traffic declines throughout the travel industry, the Prince George Airport Authority (PGAA) is hoping for a change in the summer.

The authority says, during the first quarter of 2021, there was a 78 per cent drop in passenger traffic as officials are insisting people do not travel amid a third wave of the pandemic sweeping across Canada.

There were a total of 7,381 passengers in January, 6,834 in February and 7,939 last month.

Despite the major challenges, airport officials are optimistic things will turn around in the coming months.

Central Mountain Air has started an expanded route, Flair Airlines is expected to return to the northern capital this summer and WestJet also recently announced a new route between Prince George and Abbotsford expected to begin in June.

"We are thrilled to see air service returning and expanding at our airport," PGAA President and CEO Gordon Duke said in a statement.

"We remain cautiously optimistic as passenger levels and service options increase here at YXS."

Prince George airport sees massive first-quarter passenger decline amid ongoing COVID-19 pandemic https://t.co/lcZjclgg3y #CityofPG pic.twitter.com/CFGrUkDxi2
— PrinceGeorgeMatters (@PGMatters) April 14, 2021

In April 2020, according to its own data, the PGAA said they believe it will be roughly three to five years before the airport gets back to 2019 passenger numbers.

In education, a fourth Prince George school is being warned of a COVID-19 exposure event after its community returned from spring break.

École College Heights is the latest to be flagged by Northern Health as between April 6 and 8, students and staff may have come into contact with someone who recently tested positive for the virus.

It follows Duchess Park Secondary, Prince George Secondary and Sacred Heart Elementary as fellow institutions marked for a COVID-19 exposure event since class resumed from spring break on April 6.

An up-to-date list of northern B.C. schools marked for COVID-19 exposure events in the month of April is as follows: