According to recent data, the East Kootenay reported seven COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks, while Kootenay Boundary reported 15.
The cases were reported between October 30th and November 12th. The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) data reveals the East Kootenay has now seen 49 total COVID-19 cases since January. Kootenay Boundary has had 48 total cases.
The BCCDC also updated localized COVID-19 case data for the month of October. Below are the total case counts for each municipal area from January to the end of October:
- Windermere – 12
- Nelson – 12
- Cranbrook – 11
- Fernie – 10
- Castlegar – 10
- Trail – 10
- Golden – 5
- Grand Forks – 3
- Creston – 3
- Kimberley – 1
- Kootenay Lake – 1
All of the new data was released as part of new COVID-19 modelling data from Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer.
According to Dr. Henry, British Columbia saw 536 news cases on Wednesday and a record-setting 594 new cases on Thursday. There are now 5,793 active cases across British Columbia.
Across all of B.C., 155 people are currently in hospital and 44 are in intensive care.
Over the past two days, four more people died of COVID-19 in B.C., bringing the death toll to 288. Dr. Henry said approximately 2% of people who contracted the virus have died, with the median age being 85 years old.
There have been 945,759 total COVID-19 tests in B.C. to-date with 23,133 tests performed Wednesday and Thursday.
New estimates from Dr. Henry indicate COVID-19 cases are doubling in the province every 13 days. According to their modelling data, the new daily cases could exceed 1,000 by the end of November.
“We’re accelerating the numbers of cases in our community and we’re having challenges breaking those chains of transmission through our case and contact tracing. As much as our staff are working every day and trying to get on those, we are reaching our limits,” said Dr. Henry. “That is why we need to take measures now to reduce those transmissions.”
While Fraser Health (808) and Vancouver Coastal Health (249) mostly accounted for B.C.’s new COVID-19 cases over the past two days, Dr. Henry said other areas of the province still need to be vigilant. Interior Health saw 34 new cases, while Northern Health had 23 and Vancouver Island Health had 16.
“This is our time, we need to take a step back and recognize we are being affected in the same way that people around the globe are being affected,” said Dr. Henry.
“It’s not that people are bad or that businesses aren’t doing the right thing. It’s the things that we are learning about this virus, is that it can now transmit very easily as we’re moving indoors, as the weather is changing, and we need to pay attention to that and we need to adjust and modify our behaviours to account for that.”
Dr. Henry has continued to focus on people ensuring they are sticking to their own households and a group of “safe six” outsiders. Everyone is being asked to limit all non-essential travel, especially across B.C. as people move in and out of the Lower Mainland.
“We know what we need to do, we know it works, and now’s our time to do it. We need to do it by standing together and staying apart, by supporting our communities, by helping out those we know, but doing it virtually. We need of course to remember that we need to be kind to each other, this is not an easy time for any of us, but we will get through this, we’ll get through this by being calm, by being safe, and by being brave.”
Looking closely at Interior Health’s statistics, there are now 157 active cases, with one hospitalization and one case in intensive care. Interior Health has had 959 total cases since the pandemic began, with three confirmed deaths. 618 new tests were administered in the health authority on Remembrance Day, while testing data for Thursday wasn’t available at the time of publishing.
View the full press briefing and COVID-19 update from the B.C. Government below:
MORE: COVID-19 Dashboard (BCCDC)
