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COVID claims another life in northern B.C.

The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed a 16th life in northern B.C. On Tuesday, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control reported the death, along with 22 new cases of COVID-19 in the Northern Health region.
31 COVID dashboard 12222020
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control's COVID-19 dashboard shows the latest COVID data for the Northern Health region.

The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed a 16th life in northern B.C.

On Tuesday, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control reported the death, along with 22 new cases of COVID-19 in the Northern Health region. The number of active cases in the north dropped to 462, down from 487 on Monday.

A spokesperson for Northern Health said the region's death toll is worse than that, as not all of the four recent deaths at Jubilee Lodge have been reported in the B.C. CDC's data.

There were 52 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Northern Health region on Tuesday, including 20 in intensive care, the B.C. CDC reported.

In a joint statement issued Tuesday afternoon, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix reported 444 new cases throughout B.C.

"There are 9,481 active cases of COVID-19 in the province," Henry and Dix said. "There are 357 individuals currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 84 of whom are in intensive care. There have been 12 new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 777 deaths in British Columbia. We offer our condolences to everyone who has lost their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic."

The total number of COVID-19 cases in B.C., since the start of the pandemic rose to 47,510 – including 1,620 in the Northern Health region.

Northern Health's COVID immunization campaign kicked off on Tuesday (see story). 

"Since the start of immunizations, 4,108 people have received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in B.C., and today, vaccine clinics got underway in the Island Health, Interior Health and Northern Health regions, as well as those in Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal," Henry and Dix said. "Vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna have also provided guidance on how to safely transport the approved vaccines. This means that as deliveries increase in the coming weeks, the vaccine will increasingly be available in more locations."

Henry and Dix urged British Columbians to stay safe over the holidays.

"Community transmission of COVID-19 continues to occur across our province, which means the risk remains high for all of us. Because community spread continues, even if you have been doing all you can to protect yourself and those around you, it is important to know the symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested if symptoms develop," Henry and Dix said. "By staying local, avoiding all non-essential travel and using our layers of protection, we can reduce the potential for a surge in new cases two weeks from now and keep us on the path of a safer and healthier 2021 for everyone in B.C."