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COVID-19 cases in Kootenay Boundary decline, RCMP begin Travel Restriction Road Checks

Lone Sheep Publishing
By Lone Sheep Publishing
May 6th, 2021

Similar to the rest of the province, cases of COVID-19 continue to decline in the Kootenay Boundary following the release Wednesday on the B.C. Centre of Disease Control website of the Geographic Distribution of COVID-19 by Local Health Area of Case Residence map.

Golden is now has the most reported COVID-19 cases for the region with 16 cases.

The Nelson area continues to show high numbers for the region with 15 in the period between April 25 – May 1, down from 19 the previous week.

The Heritage City had 20 COVID-19 cases April 11-17 before and 13 cases between April 4-10.

Cranbrook in the East Kootenay also reported 15 COVID-19 cases for April 25 – May 1.

Other numbers in the West Kootenay/Boundary region show Arrow Lakes and Kettle Valley with three case, Kootenay Lake two cases while Trail shows one case and Castlegar and Grand Forks each have zero.

In the East Kootenay Fernie reports 13 cases while Windermere has 10 cases and Kimberley nine.

Four schools in the Kootenay Boundary reported potential COVID-19 exposures.

  • SD 5 Southeast Kootenay — Rocky Mountain Elementary, April 23
  • SD 6 Rocky Mountain — Nicolson Elementary April 27-28
  • SD 10 Arrow Lakes — Nakusp Elementary, April 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
  • SD20 Kootenay Columbia — Stanley Humphries, Castlegar, April 22

Provincial COVID-19 count continues downward trend

Wednesday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reported the daily COVID-19 numbers at 572  new cases.

The updates bring the province’s rolling seven-day average for daily new cases to 719, continuing a downward trend that has been ongoing for weeks.

The media update also brought B.C.’s active caseload below 7,000 for the first time since March 29 — currently there are 6,877 active cases in the province.

Hospitalizations have also declined, though they remain near record highs with 481 people currently in hospital with COVID-19 and 161 of those are in intensive care.

Provincial numbers have 118 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 362 new cases in the Fraser Health region, 22 in the Island Health region, 57 in the Interior Health region, 13 in the Northern Health region and no new cases of people who reside outside of Canada.

RCMP release restrictions checkpoint locations

In a news release, the B.C. RCMP said checkpoints will be set up at the following locations starting on Thursday:

  • Highway 1 in the Boston Bar area
  • Highway 3 in the Manning Park area
  • Highway 5 in the Old Toll Booth area
  • Highway 99 in the Lillooet area

RCMP said people traveling for essential reasons through those areas can expect traffic delays.

“Signage will be in place informing travelers of upcoming road check locations and providing safe u-turn routes should motorists determine that their travel is not essential and wish to avoid the road check,” the RCMP media release said.

“Commercial vehicles will not be subject to road checks.”

Police said at the road check locations police officers will be asking for identification from drivers, documentation regarding the driver’s name and address, and the purpose for the driver’s travel.

“If an officer determines that a person is travelling for non-essential reasons they will be directed to leave the region,” RCMP said. “Those refusing to do so may face fines under the Emergency Program Act.”

Police encourage everyone to avoid non-essential travel at this time.

For more information regarding provincial enforcement please visit the BC Government COVID-19 information pages.

Drivers who refuse can be fined up to $575.

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