COVID-19 outbreak declared at hospital in B.C. region dealing with surge of cases
A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at a hospital in Northern B.C., which has been dealing with a surge in cases, overwhelmed health care and new restrictions.
Northern Health issued a statement Friday saying four people – two patients and two staff – tested positive for the disease at an in-patient unit in Quesnel's GR Baker Memorial Hospital.
"Monitoring and testing is underway to identify any additional cases," Northern Health's statement said.
News of the outbreak comes the day new restrictions for the health authority are in effect. B.C.'s top doctor announced the additional measures Thursday as the region has seen a spike in cases and high transmission.
"We are intending this circuit breaker to save lives, to lower the rates of transmission to allow our hospitalizations to stabilize and enable us all to come back together safely and to celebrate during the upcoming holiday season," Dr. Bonnie Henry said.
Among the new restrictions – which apply only to local health areas in the province's northeast – are the closure of bars and nightclubs, restrictions on alcohol sales at restaurants and a ban on in-person religious services.
There are also new restrictions on gatherings, including a ban on all private gatherings involving unvaccinated people.
Infection rates have been so high in Northern Health that local hospitals have been overwhelmed. So far 58 patients have been transferred to hospitals in other health authorities. The region only has 63 intensive-care beds, 23 of which have been temporarily added during the pandemic.
In announcing the outbreak at the Quesnel hospital, Northern Health said enhanced outbreak control measures are now in place at the facility. Those measures include increased cleaning and symptom monitoring. As well, only essential visitors are permitted and staff movement is being limited.
"Public health officials will be monitoring the situation carefully over coming weeks and will only declare the outbreak over when they are confident that chains of transmission have been stopped," Northern Health's statement said.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Ian Holliday and Tessa Vikander
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.
BREAKING Mounties will not be charged in shooting death of B.C. Indigenous man
Three Mounties in British Columbia will not face charges in the killing of a 38-year-old Indigenous man on Vancouver Island in 2021.