Interior Health is announcing temporary service adjustments to strengthen patient care due to Omicron-related COVID-19 staffing challenges. “As we manage the Omicron-driven COVID-19 staffing impacts on the health system, Interior Health is proactively identifying services to adjust and relocate in order to maintain safe...

The BC Centre of Disease Control Geographic Distribution of COVID-19 by Local Health Area of Case Residence graphic shows a significant bump in case for the Kootenay Boundary region. Between December 26, 2021, to January 1, 2022, some local health areas saw massive spikes in numbers from the previous week — December 19 to 25,...

Interior Health said Monday the Kootenay Lake Hospital welcomed its first baby of the New Year at 5:39 p.m. on Sunday, January 2, 2022. The baby boy was born to Sarah and Brad Wick of Riondel. The Wick baby was 9 pounds, 13 ounces at birth. Att Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital, the first baby came as twins to Jenneka Plug...

Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 9,332 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 264,181 cases in the province: Dec. 31, 2021 - Jan. 1, 2022: 4,033 new cases Jan. 1-2, 2022: 3,069 new cases Jan. 2-3, 2022: 2,230 new cases Note: case counts provided today are preliminary. The new cases include: 4,859 new cases in Fraser...

The spike in new COVID-19 cases in BC is not just reserved for the Lower Mainland, but also the Southern Interior, including the Kootenays, the recent map of cases by local health area released by the BC Centre of Disease Control shows. The Geographic Distribution of COVID-19 by local health area of case residence map for...

Interior Heath has issued a DRUG ALERT for the Nelson area after a sample believed to be cocaine tested positive for fentanyl.  Interior Health said in a media release Wednesday, the overdose risk is very high when stimulant samples are contaminated with fentanyl. “Please ensure your clients are aware of safer drug use tips that...

 As COVID-19 activity increases across B.C., guidance for when to get a COVID-19 test has been updated. Monday the BC Ministry of Health confirmed 6,288 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 241,946 cases in the province for the three-day period over Christmas. Dec. 24-25: 2,552 new cases Dec. 25-26: 2,023 new cases Dec....

Since launching earlier this fall, B.C.’s COVID-19 booster dose campaign has seen nearly 800,000 shots delivered into the arms of people across the province. We have moved more quickly and accelerated our efforts in Interior Health to make booster shots available: in particular, for those over 65 and whose health conditions...

British Columbia is currently experiencing a fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic fueled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. In response, public health officials have undertaken several new measures to blunt the potential of this wave to overtake our health care system. These public health restrictions limit the...

The provincial health officer is implementing additional measures to address rising COVID-19 case counts that could result in increased hospitalizations and critical care admissions and the potential to overstress the health-care system. Revised provincial health officer orders will take effect on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021, ...