Interior Health identifies increased COVID-19 activity in Revelstoke region, additional cases linked to Big White Mountain
By Nelson Daily Staff
Interior Health said Tuesday that there has been increased COVID-19 activity in the Revelstoke region as well as identifying an additional 25 cases of COVID-19 linked to the Big White Mountain community cluster.
In Revelstoke, Interior Health is reminding all residents to maintain their efforts to prevent community transmission.
“There is no specific source for the new cases,” the Interior Health media release said.
“It is for this reason all residents and businesses are reminded of the importance of COVID-19 testing at the first sign of symptoms in addition to keeping social bubbles small.”
Interior Health said a new official cumulative total will be posted on the BCCDC website in the days ahead for Revelstoke, but there is confirmation that there are currently above 85 cases in the region since the start of the pandemic.
“Last week, 22 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed and seven new cases were confirmed the previous week,” Interior Health said.
“On a per capita basis, these recent case counts are higher than many areas of the province.
Meanwhile, at Big White Mountain, Interior Health has identified an additional 25 cases of COVID-19 linked to the recent community cluster bringing the total number of cases identified to date at 136.
“Of the 136 known COVID-19 cases link to this cluster, 88 reside on Big White Mountain,” Interior Health said.
“There are currently 27 cases active and on isolation and 109 individuals have recovered.”
Interior Health said everyone in the Big White community is reminded to avoid social gatherings and that socialization must be limited to immediate household bubbles and to please follow public health guidance such as physical distancing, washing your hands regularly and wearing a mask.
“The risk remains low for families and individuals visiting Big White Mountain who follow public health guidance,” Interior Health said.
“In other words, it is safe to go to Big White when you stick to your immediate household bubble and avoid socializing and gathering, etc.”
Interior Health is continuing outreach COVID-19 testing throughout the Big White community and environmental public health inspections.
“We remain grateful to community leaders for their support, and remind everyone not to stigmatize or judge others who seek testing or test positive for COVID-19,” Interior Health said.
Tuesday, Interior Health release new numbers of COVID-19 cases for the region.
- IH is reporting 61 new cases since Jan. 4, for a total of 4,239.
- 769 cases are active and on isolation.
- Thirty-five people are in hospital; seven of them in ICU.
- Total number of deaths in IH has risen to 33.*
- 1 death in community/hospital.
“Today we lost another member of our community to COVID-19 and on behalf of everyone at Interior Health, I want to offer our sincere condolences to their loved ones and care givers,” Susan Brown, president and CEO, Interior Health said.
“Sadly, this brings our region to 33 COVID-19 related deaths since the start of the pandemic. I encourage everyone to take the necessary steps to limit the spread of this virus and to stay committed in the fight against COVID-19.”
Provincially, Dr. Bonnie Henry reported in the daily media briefing 428 new cases of COVID-19, including two epi-linked cases, for a total of 54,629 cases in British Columbia.
Dr. Henry said there are 6,472 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. There are 367 individuals currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 77 of whom are in intensive care.
The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Dr. Henry said sadly there were eight new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 954 deaths in British Columbia.
On the positive side, Dr. Henry said to date, 28,209 people have received a COVID-19 vaccine in British Columbia.
Everyone in all communities should remain vigilant in following COVID-19 precautions:
- Keep to your household bubbles and avoid social gatherings.
- Stay home when you are sick and get tested if you have any symptoms consistent with COVID‑19.
- Practise physical distancing and use a mask if you cannot.
- Wash your hands often.
Booking a COVID-19 test:
Online: You can book an appointment online through the COVID-19 Test Booking Form: https://interiorhealthcovid.secureform.ca/index.php
By phone: Call the COVID-19 Test Booking Line at 1-877-740-7747 for assistance with booking your test.
BC COVID-19 Dashboard for Interior Health Region. — Submitted
