The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed three more lives in the Northern Health region.
During Thursday's COVID-19 update, Health Minister Adrian Dix said that three of the five British Columbians who died of COVID-related causes since Wednesday's update were from the north. British Columbia's death toll from the pandemic rose to 1,463 – including 124 people from the Northern Health region.
"I am thinking of all of those families," Dix said. "It is a difficult time for loss."
The Northern Health region saw 39 new COVID cases reported on Thursday, however the number of active cases dropped from 310 down to 297, according to data released by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control. Thirty people in the Northern Health region were hospitalized with the disease, including 13 in critical care.
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 6,043 cases of COVID-19 in the north.
A total of 41,889 doses of COVID-19 have been administered in the Northern Health region – 39,124 first doses and 2,765 second doses, the B.C. CDC reported.
"In Prince Rupert we have immunized... 9,008 people," as part of the whole-community vaccination campaign there, Dix said.
However, despite that, over the last four days 67 people in Prince Rupert have been diagnosed with the disease, he said. It illustrates that just because people are vaccinated, that doesn't mean they can let their guard down, he said.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said it can take up to 21 days after being vaccinated for people to develop their peak immunity level to COVID-19.
"The protection is very good, not perfect, but very good," Henry said. "They are very effective at protecting people from serious illness and death."
While more than 16 per cent of British Columbians have now been vaccinated, case numbers continue to be very high, Henry said. On Thursday, a total of 832 new cases of COVID-19 were reported across the province.
Until case numbers come down, and more people are vaccinated, everyone needs to continue following the public health orders to prevent the spread, Henry said. She urged residents to avoid indoor gatherings and not travel over the Easter long weekend.
"If you do choose to spend time with anyone outside your household this weekend, it must be outside," she said. "This is not the time for any of us to be travelling for leisure, or to have a getaway. If you are in doubt, don't go."
