(Files by Catherine Garrett-MyPGNow)
B.C. Health officials say the province is on the right track when it comes to flattening the COVID-19 curve.
Despite that, 1,236 people tested positive for the virus this weekend, including 152 in Interior Health and 131 in Northern Health.
Breakdown by day:
Fri/Sat: 428
Sat/Sun: 465
Sun/Mon: 343
The number of active cases in the province continues to slowly drop.
3976 people are currently sick, of those 234 are in hospital and 69 in ICU.
Meanwhile, about 6900 are currently isolating and a further 65.1k have made a full recovery.
13 people have lost their lives from the virus since the last update.
This brings B.C’s death toll to 1259.
Three of the deaths over the weekend were in Interior Health, increasing the region’s total up to 81 since the pandemic began.
Provincial Health Officer Doctor Bonnie Henry says there are now 40 variant cases in the province.
She says most are travel-related or have a contact who traveled.
Of that total, 25 are identified as the UK variant, with most infections occurring across the lower mainland and island health.
There has been one case in the Interior.
15 of the forty variant cases have been identified as the South African variant — all in Vancouver and Fraser Health.
However, Doctor Henry says health officials are struggling to find the source of transmission for four cases.
On the vaccine front, nearly 155,000 people have rolled up their sleeves.
Over 12,000 people have now received a second dose.
Doctor Henry says there have been 217 instances of a negative reaction following a vaccine; 18 of which were considered severe.
Northern Health says nine patients have tested positive for COVID-19 at a hospital in Dawson Creek.
The health authority declared an outbreak on the Medical Inpatient Unit at Dawson Creek & District Hospital today (Monday).
Monitoring is underway to find any additional cases, and cleaning has been increased across the facility.
Movement of staff and patients has also been limited between care areas.
There are 31 outbreaks currently active in the healthcare system.
Meanwhile, Cedars Christian School in Prince George has reported an exposure.
The Independent school says the event occurred on February 1.
North: +131
Interior: +152
Vancouver: +266
Fraser: +601
Island: +86