One new case of COVID-19 was reported in the Northern Health region on Friday.
A joint statement released by Health Minister Adrian Dix and deputy provincial health officer Dr. Réka Gustafson on Friday said the total number of cases in the north since the start of the pandemic increased to 122.
"Today, we are announcing 90 new cases, for a total of 4,915 cases in British Columbia," Dix and Gustafson said in the statement. "There are 824 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, 2,594 people who are under active public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases and 3,889 people who tested positive have recovered."
Data released by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control on Friday showed there were 15 active cases in the Northern Health region on Friday. Between Aug. 7 and Aug. 20, there were 28 new cases of COVID-19 in the Northern Health region – including one in the Northern Interior health service area, where Prince George is located. Twenty-six of the cases were in the Northeast region, and one in the Northwest.
On Monday, Northern Health issued a warning saying anyone who attended the It is Time Canada prayer meeting event in Deadwood, Alta. should monitor themselves for symptoms. As of Monday, the event was linked to 17 cases of COVID-19 in northern B.C., primarily in the Fort St. John area.
Throughout B.C. there were 13 people hospitalized with COVID-19, including five in intensive care, Dix and Gustafson said in their statement. No COVID patients in the Northern Health region were hospitalized, as of Friday, according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
"There have been two new COVID-19 related deaths in the Fraser Health region, for a total of 202 deaths in British Columbia," Dix and Gustafson said in their statement. "We offer our condolences to everyone who has lost their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic."
No deaths linked to COVID-19 have been reported in the north.
"COVID-19 is going to be with us for the foreseeable future. What that means for British Columbians is that we are all learning to live our lives with the virus in our communities," Dix and Gustafson's statement said. "This weekend, take a few minutes to remind yourself of the steps we all take each day and every day. Together, we have the knowledge, we have the skills and the expertise. Let's continue to protect our most vulnerable, our elders, our communities and ourselves."
