Three Northern Health residents, plus an Albertan working at the Site C camp near Fort St. John, have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
It's the first time since June 8 that anyone in the region has been diagnosed with the disease. The three cases in the north aren't linked to the worker at the Site C camp, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said.
"They are in three different communities. There are different circumstances in each case," Henry said. "Two are travel-related, one out of province."
All three northern B.C. residents are currently recovering at home, and a small number of contacts are being contacted by public health officials, Henry said. None of the cases in Northern Health were linked to the exposure event that happened in Kelowna earlier this month.
"If we can find everybody quickly, we can stop the next generation from being exposed," she said.
The Alberta resident working at Site C was tested before travelling to B.C., Henry said. When they were notified by Alberta health officials that they were positive, they reported it immediately and are now in isolation at the camp, Henry said.
"BC Hydro has been following all of the protocols," Henry said. "This person has had very limited contacts."
When asked why a person waiting on results of a COVID-19 test was allowed to fly into the camp, Henry said that question wasn't part of the screening process, but "that is a question that will be asked now."
Overall, B.C. reported 28 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the provinces total since the start of the outbreak to 3,198. The number for the Northern Health region rose from 65 to 68. COVID-19 cases are reported in the jurisdiction where a person lives, so the Site C case will be reported in Alberta.
There were 207 active cases in B.C., including three (four with the Site C case) in the north. Of those cases, 18 people were hospitalized – including two in intensive care.
There were no new deaths reported on Friday, leaving the province's death toll at 189.
B.C. is also monitoring a new outbreak at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at St. Paul's hospital in Vancouver, Henry said. One infant, as well as some family members and staff members were infected, she said.
"This is a very unfortunate event," Henry said. "Thankfully nobody is seriously ill. Most young children, even infants, even infants with health issues, do very well with the virus."
