Following a reduction in weekly confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Smithers Local Health Area (LHA) of 12 between Dec. 20 and 26, new infections were up again to 20 from Dec. 27 to Jan. 2.
This represents a daily infection rate of 15.1 to 20 per 100,000 population, a measure the B.C. Centre for Disease Control uses to allow comparison between areas with different population densities.
That brings the total case count for Smithers LHA (Houston to Witset) to 123 since January.
Caseloads in surrounding Northwest Health Service Delivery Area LHAs for the last week of December included Terrace 29, Nisga’a 24, Burns Lake 21, Nechako 5, Prince Rupert 5, Upper Skeena 4, and Kitimat 4.
And for the first time since Haida Gwaii’s outbreak of 26 cases in July and August, the islands recorded their first case.
The Snow Country, Telegraph Creek and Stikine LHAs reported no cases between them.
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Today, Northern Health is reporting 43 new cases. There are currently 426 active cases with 39 hospitalized and 15 receiving critical care.
There have been 32 confirmed deaths and 1,806 victims are considered to have recovered since the pandemic began.
A weekly report on Health Service Delivery Areas (HSDA) of which there are three in the North is expected later today.
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