Northern Health's COVID-19 numbers continue to spike.
The province is reporting 91 new COVID-19 cases in Northern Health in the past 24 hours and 813 active cases in the region.
Hospitalizations also continue to rise, as there are now 92 people currently in hospital with COVID-19 in the region and 16 in critical care.
Provincewide, B.C. is reporting 624 new cases of COVID-19 with 5,929 active cases.
Of the active cases, 373 individuals are in hospital and 132 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Today there have been four COVID-19 related deaths in B.C. one in Fraser Heath, two in Vancouver Coastal and one in Island Health.
There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks reported today and the outbreak at Jubilee Lodge in Prince George has been declared over.
However, the University Hospital of Northern B.C. announced it is now implementing full COVID-19 safety measures throughout the facility as it deals with two separate outbreaks.
An outbreak on the Internal Medicine Unit was declared on Oct. 5 and a previous outbreak at the Primary Care Unit was declared on Sept. 26.
Enhanced outbreak control measures are already in place on the Primary Care and Internal Medicine Units in response to the two unrelated outbreaks.
To further protect the health of patients, clients, staff and physicians, UHNBC is expanding measures to the entire facility, including all patient care areas and public spaces.
- Effective immediately, only essential visitors will be allowed in any department or area of UHNBC.
- Essential visits include those for compassionate care, including at end of life, and visitors accompanying patients with physical care or mental well-being needs.
- Additional UHNBC COVID-19 Safety Plan measures being implemented facility-wide, include:
- Access controls and facility entrance screening
- Physical distancing, and occupancy limits – including in waiting rooms, meeting rooms, educational spaces, communal spaces and other common areas.
- Masking protocols
UHNBC says patients and visitors should also watch for information and directional signage posted within the facility.
Public health officials will be monitoring the situation carefully over the coming weeks, with respect to both current UHNBC outbreaks and the duration of expanded COVID-19 measures, facility-wide.
Provincially, from Sept. 29-Oct. 5 people not fully vaccinated accounted for 70.8 per cent of cases and from Sept. 22-Oct. 5, they accounted for 78.3 per cent of hospitalizations.
As of Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, 88.5 per cent or 4,103,158 of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 82.1 per cent 3,804,517 received their second dose.
In addition, 89.0 per cent 3,849,682 of all eligible adults in B.C. have received their first dose and 82.8 per cent or 3,582,130 received their second dose.
