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Northern Health adds three COVID-19 cases, province records 139, three new deaths

B.C. records three new deaths
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B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. (via Flickr/Province of B.C.)

Another day, another rise in COVID-19 cases in B.C.

In a written statement this afternoon (Sept. 18), Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced 139 new COVID-19 cases discovered in the past day, bringing the grand total to 7,842. 

Three of the new cases are in Northern Health, bringing the authority's total to 244. 

Included in the provincial total, 40 historic cases are now included involving cases that were tested between Aug. 11 and Sept. 16 for people that did not have personal health numbers.

All cases were investigated and managed by Vancouver Coastal Health, but had not been entered as data in the system, which reflects in the overall B.C. total, but does not include the new cases announced today.

There have been three deaths from the virus in the past 24 hours, bringing the death total to 223, but none of them were in Northern Health.

A total of 1,803 cases are active throughout B.C. including 59 in hospital and 20 of those in ICU.

Case counts in other regions include 2,817 recorded in Vancouver Coastal Health, 4,007 in Fraser Health, 196 in Vancouver Island Health and 492 in Interior Health. There are 86 cases from people who reside outside of the country. 

“We need to push the COVID-19 curve back down and we have the knowledge, the tools and resources to do just that," Henry said in the statement. "Always using your layers of protection and choosing to stick with your ‘safe six’ will help all of us this weekend and every weekend ahead.

“The cases we are seeing today are a direct result of how we spent our Labour Day long weekend. Let’s break the chain of transmission and turn this trend around.

“No one intends to pass the virus onto friends or family, but it is very easy to do. It can take up to two weeks for symptoms of COVID-19 to develop and in that time, we can inadvertently spread it to others.

“That is why the actions we take as individuals today are so important to the well-being of our communities tomorrow. Let’s choose safe, let’s choose small and let’s choose to protect the people we care about most.”

There is one exposure event listed by Northern Health that remains in effect:

  • Prespatou region = No address (Month of August)

The first potential COVID-19 exposure in a northern B.C. school has also been recorded.

According to Northern Health, École Frank Ross Elementary in Dawson Creek reported possible exposure to the virus between Sept. 10 and 11.

No other schools in northern B.C. are listed, including those in Prince George.

There are now outbreaks at the following assisted living, long-term care homes and seniors' rental buildings: 

Vancouver Coastal Health

  • OPAL by Element assisted living facility 
  • Point Grey Private Hospital long-term facility

Fraser Health

  • Bear Creek Villa independent-living facility
  • Cherington Place long-term care facility
  • Evergreen Hamlets long-term care facility
  • Kin Village assisted-living facility
  • Miliew Children and Family Services Society community-living facility
  • New Vista Care Home long-term care facility
  • Normanna long-term care facility
  • Rideau Retirement Centre independent-living facility

- with files from Kyle Balzer, PrinceGeorgeMatters