No new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the Northern Health region on Tuesday.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and deputy minister of health Stephen Brown said the total number of cases in northern B.C. remained at 383.
"Today, we are reporting 217 new cases, including two epi-linked cases, for a total of 13,588 cases in British Columbia," Henry and Brown said. "There are 2,322 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, 5,101 people who are under active public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases and 10,954 people who tested positive have recovered."
Throughout the province 84 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, including 27 people in intensive care. The number of active cases and people hospitalized in the north wasn't provided, but on Tuesday afternoon the B.C. Centre for Disease Control reported 11 active cases in the Northern Health region – including one person hospitalized and in intensive care.
No new deaths linked to COVID-19 were reported on Tuesday, leaving the province's death toll from the pandemic at 259.
Public health officials are monitoring outbreaks at 21 long-term care and assisted-living facilities in the province. None of the facilities with outbreaks are located in the Northern Health region.
Henry reminded British Columbians about her new guidance regarding wearing non-medical masks.
"Always using our layers of protection reduces the potential for the virus to spread and is an important part of our COVID-19 response in B.C.," Henry said. "A mask is especially helpful in public indoor spaces where you don't know the people around you and the risks they may have. As a result, the expectation is that masks will be worn within public areas of health-care facilities, shopping malls, grocery stores, community centres and other public spaces – as you enter, exit and move around."
Public indoor spaces, where people are in contact with strangers, are different than schools or offices where people are in contact with the same group of people on a regular basis, Henry added.
"Getting through our COVID-19 storm requires all of us to do our part without exception, so let's support each other to do the right thing today," said said.
