A dozen new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the Northern Health region on Friday, as cases across the province soared.
The province blew past the record number of new cases set on Thursday, according to a joint statement issued by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix.
"Today, we are reporting 589 new cases, including five epi-linked cases, for a total of 17,149 cases in British Columbia," Henry and Dix said. "There have been 146 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 402 in the Fraser Health region, five in the Island Health region, 24 in the Interior Health region, 12 in the Northern Health region and no new cases of people who reside outside of Canada."
The province's previous single-day high was 425 new cases in a day, set on Thursday.
There were 3,741 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C. as of Friday's update, and a further 7,887 people who were being monitored for potential exposure to the disease.
"Currently, 104 individuals are hospitalized with COVID-19, 28 of whom are in intensive care," Henry and Dix said. "There have been two new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 275 deaths in British Columbia. We offer our condolences to everyone who has lost their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic."
The number of active cases in the north wasn't provided, but on Friday the B.C. Centre for Disease Control reported 39 active cases in the Northern Health region. There were two patients hospitalized and in intensive care with COVID-19 in northern B.C.
The total number of cases in Northern B.C. since the start of the outbreak reached 450 on Friday.
According to data released by the B.C. CDC on Thursday, there were 67 new cases of COVID-19 between Oct. 23 and Thursday in the three health service delivery areas that make up Northern Health – 35 in the Northern Interior (which includes Prince George), 23 in the Northeast and nine in the Northwest.
"There has been one new community outbreak at the Royal Inland Hospital construction site," Henry and Dix said. "(And) there continue to be exposure events around the province."
School District 57 had its first school exposure, with an exposure incident on Oct. 30 at Ron Brent Elementary School.
It was the second school exposure in a month in Prince George. An exposure event was reported at Immaculate Conception School between Oct. 21 and Oct. 23.
Provincial health officials are monitoring outbreaks at 31 long-term care or assisted-living facilities in B.C., including one at Rotary Manor in Dawson Creek involving a single staff member.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has implemented a testing service to provide both positive and negative results for COVID-19 tests. Previously only people getting a negative test result would be texted, with patients reciving a positive result reciving a phone call. In addition, test results are available online.
For more information, go to: www.bccdc.ca/results.
Henry and DIx will address the public and media in a special press confernce at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Normally they only hold live press conferences to update the public on Mondays and Thursdays.
"Keeping businesses open is important to all of us and we can all take confidence in knowing the vast majority of businesses are doing all they can to keep their employees and customers safe throughout the province," Henry and Dix said. "As we have done with many sectors, public health teams are continually reviewing guidance and working with individual business owners to help navigate the challenges of COVID-19 and continue to operate safely."
With cases on the rise, public health officials will be looking at places where transmision is occuring an increase inspections or require additional safety measures, they said.
"Right now, particularly in the Lower Mainland, we are asking businesses to review their COVID-19 safety plans to ensure every step is being taken to protect everyone," Henry and Dix said. "For employees and customers, you can also do your part and help businesses to stay open by staying away if you are feeling unwell, using a mask when indoors and not asking businesses or their employees to bend the rules."
