Hospital and ICU admissions across B.C. involving COVID-19 continue to soar.
In a written statement this afternoon (April 21), Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said 862 more tests came back positive for the virus across B.C. during the past 24 hours for a new grand total of 121,751.
Of those infections, Northern Health added 26, raising the authority total to 6,895 since March 14, 2020.
There have been seven new COVID-linked deaths, which brnigs the province's toll to 1,546.
There are currently 8,906 active cases throughout B.C. with 483 people in hospital, 164 of which are admitted in ICU or critical care.
Prov. total - 121,751
— Jess Balzer (@jessicajbalzer) April 21, 2021
New Northern Health - 26
Active B.C. - 8,906
Public health monitoring prov. - 13,135
Hospital B.C. - 483 (record)
ICU B.C. - 164 (record)
New deaths, total B.C. - 7/1,546#bcpoli #covidbc #covid19bc #covid19 #bced #cdnpoli #cityofpg @PGMatters
Both hospitalization numbers are new records.
Another 13,135 are under active public health monitoring due to being exposed to someone diagnosed with the virus, while 111,039 are classified as recovered.
As COVID-19 caseloads across B.C. still remain too high, parts of the north are also feeling the effects.
According to the latest Geographic Distribution of COVID-19 by Health Service Delivery Area of Case Residence data released by the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), the northeast continues to see the highest case numbers in the region.
Between April 9 and 15, the area recorded 151 new lab-confirmed infections, while the northern interior, which includes Prince George, tallied 73 during the same timeframe.
The northwestern region saw the least amount of new cases in the authority with 68.
From Jan. 1, 2020, to April 15, 2021, BCCDC data shows the northern interior has seen a total of 2,250 cases, while the northwest corner of the province inches closer to 3,000 with 2,668.
Northeast B.C. has seen less than 2,000, coming in at 1,820.
In education, Prince George's Buckhorn Elementary has been flagged a second time in as many days for possible COVID-19 exposure among 14 new alerts for school across northern B.C.
The new warning date is April 12, 2021, Northern Health says.
Buckhorn's first exposure event since the pandemic began was announced yesterday (April 20) as students and staff, between April 13 and 15, may have come in contact with someone who recently tested positive.
An up-to-date list of northern B.C. schools marked for COVID-19 exposure events in the month of April is as follows:
- Mountain Christian School Society (Independent, Dawson Creek) - April 16, 2021
- Buckhorn Elementary (SD57) - April 12, 2021
- Cassie Hall Elementary (SD82) - April 5-6, 12-16, 2021
- Thornhill Primary School (SD82) - April 13-15, 2021
- Thornhill Elementary (SD82) - April 13-15, 2021
- Doctor Kearney Middle (SD60) - April 14, 2021
- North Peace Secondary (SD60) - April 14, 2021
- Mountain Christian School Society (Independent, Dawson Creek) - April 13-15, 2021
- North Peace Secondary (SD60) - April 8-9, 13, 2021
- Freedom Thinkers Education (Independent, Fort St. John) - April 12-13, 2021
- Duncan Cran Elementary (SD60) - April 7-9, 12-13, 2021
- Bert Bowes Middle (SD60) - April 8-9, 13, 2021
- Doctor Kearney Middle (SD60) - April 8-9, 2021
- R.L. Angus Elementary (SD81) - April 12-13, 2021
- Energetic Learning Campus (SD60) - April 14-15, 2021
- Buckhorn Elementary (SD57) - April 13-15, 2021
- Duncan Cran Elementary (SD60) - April 6-8, 12-14, 2021
- Evelyn Dickson Elementary (SD91) - April 9, 2021
- Chetwynd Secondary (SD59) - April 12, 2021
- Morfee Elementary (SD57) - April 3-5, 2021
- Prince George Secondary (SD57) - April 7, 12-16, 2021
- Energetic Learning Campus, Fort St. John (SD60) - April 12-13, 2021
- Hudson's Hope Elementary and Junior Secondary (SD60) - April 12, 2021
- Doctor Kearney Middle (SD60) - April 12-13, 2021
- North Peace Secondary (SD60) - April 12-13, 2021
- Tremblay Elementary (SD59) - April 7-9, 2021
- College Heights Secondary (SD57) - April 12-13, 2021
- École Frank Ross Elementary (SD59) - April 6-9, 2021
- Houston Christian School (Independent) - April 7-9, April 12-13, 2021
- Notre Dame Catholic School (Independent) - April 7, 2021
- Twain Sullivan Elementary (SD54) - April 7-9, April 12-13, 2021
- Houston Secondary (SD54) - April 7-9, 12-13, 2021
- Sliverthorne Elementary (SD54) - April 7-9, April 12-13, 2021
- Energetic Learning Campus (SD60) - April 8-9, 2021
- Dawson Creek Secondary, South Peace Campus (SD59) - March 30-April 1, 2021
- École Mountain View Elementary (SD82) - April 6, 2021
- École Frank Ross Elementary (SD59) - March 30 - April 2, 2021
- Tremblay Elementary (SD59) - March 30-April 1, 2021
- École College Heights Elementary (SD57) - April 6-8, 2021
- St. Anthony's Catholic School, Kitimat (Independent) - April 6, 2021
- Dawson Creek Secondary, South Peace Campus (SD59) - March 29-April 1, 2021
- Notre Dame Catholic School (Independent) - March 29-April 1, 2021
- Sacred Heart Elementary (Diocese of Prince George) - April 6, 2021
- Kispiox Community School (Independent) - April 6, 2021
- Mountain Christian School Society (Independent) - April 6, 2021
- Prince George Secondary (SD57) - April 6, 2021
- Canalta Elementary (SD59) - April 6, 2021
- C.M. Finch Elementary (SD60) - March 30-April 1, 2021
- Duchess Park Secondary (SD57) - April 6, 2021
- Kersley Elementary (SD28) - April 6-8, 2021
- Dawson Creek Secondary, South Peace Campus (SD59) - March 31-April 1, 2021
- with a file from Kyle Balzer, PrinceGeorgeMatters
