Alarming.
That may be the best way to summarize the COVID-19 situation in northern B.C. as in the last two weeks, infections have surged to a great extent despite its efforts to curb the virus.
According to the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), the Northern Health authority witnessed 343 new cases between Nov. 20 and Dec. 3, which is more than what the region recorded in, roughly, the first seven months of the pandemic.
The BC Centre for Disease Control's Health Service Delivery Area map, Nov. 20 to Dec. 3, 2020. (via BCCDC)The north did not hit 350 until Oct. 16, about a month-and-a-half ago.
The new two-week total is a 196 per cent increase compared to the previous count ending Nov. 19, when Dr. Bonnie Henry implemented new public health orders across the province.
"There's still really important things we can do and Northern Health is keeping up with the contact tracing part but it is getting more challenging,” the provincial health officer said in an interview with PrinceGeorgeMatters on Thursday (Dec. 3).
"So yes, it is concerning. It's concerning because we now have quite a few people who are in hospital in the north and we all know that the capacity in the north for critical care and hospital care is limited and we want to make sure we have the resources for everybody who needs health care in the north."
Of the new numbers, there were 201 COVID-19 cases detected in the northern interior, which includes Prince George and its surrounding areas, which is a 235 per cent increase after reporting just 60 between Nov. 5 and 19.
This follows a number of exposure events within the health service delivery area.
University Hospital of Northern BC (UHNBC) is under a ‘precautionary’ outbreak after multiple staff and patients tested positive for the virus and will remain in effect until Dec. 16, which is the last day of the facility’s incubation period.
Officials say the ‘precautionary’ declaration was made as enhanced safety measures are in place and it’s believed the risk of transmission is low.
The same outbreak is also in place for Northern Health’s Gateway Lodge in Prince George as a single staff member tested positive, and the precaution is for the upper west wing of the building on the second floor.
The risk of transmission here is also considered to be low with extra safety measures in effect.
In Prince George the last two weeks, five schools have also been warned of a COVID-19 exposure event:
- Peden Hill Elementary (SD57) - Nov. 24-27, 2020
- Sacred Heart Elementary (Diocese of Prince George) - Nov. 25-27, 2020
- Ecole College Heights Elementary (SD57) - Nov. 19-20, 20-24, 2020
- Beaverly Elementary (SD57) - Nov. 23-24, 2020
- Foothills Elementary (SD57) - Nov. 23, 2020
The northern interior also includes the Nechako Valley, where four schools have been marked for the virus, in addition to two Fort St. James facilities are under Northern Health’s public exposures list.
Residents who visited both the Cold Weather Shelter and Key Resource Centre may have come into contact with someone who tested positive between Nov. 12 and 25.
Elsewhere, though the numbers are smaller on paper, the northwest saw an exponential increase by 365 per cent with 79 COVID-19 cases reported in two weeks.
In the northeast, 63 were recorded, which equates to a 61.5 increase from 39 in the two weeks before Nov. 20.
To date since the pandemic reached the region in March, Northern Health has recorded 928 lab-confirmed COVID-19 infections, which has led to eight deaths.
There are currently 235 active cases with 11 people placed in critical care among 33 total hospitalizations.
As of this publication, 34,693 people in the north have been tested for the virus, which equates to 12 per cent of Northern Health’s population reach.
