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COVID-19 claims life of second person in Northern Health region

A second person in northern B.C. has died of COVID-19, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced on Monday. The person died after a lengthy hospitalization, Henry said, but no additional details were made available.
Bonnie Henry
B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says Halloween is not time for large gatherings, with the pandemic still out of control.

A second person in northern B.C. has died of COVID-19, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced on Monday.

The person died after a lengthy hospitalization, Henry said, but no additional details were made available. The person in the Northern Health region was one of four people who died of COVID-19 in B.C. since the last update on Friday, bringing the province's death toll from the pandemic to 227.

"My condolences and thoughts go out to the families and communities and caregivers of these people," Henry said.

The first COVID-19 death in Northern Health was reported last week.

Eleven new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the Northern Health region on Monday, covering the three days since Friday's update. The total number of cases in the north since the start of the pandemic rose to 255.

The number of active cases in Northern Health wasn't reported, but on Monday the B.C. Centre for Disease Control reported 30 active cases – down six from Friday. Of those cases, seven people were hospitalized, including three in intensive care.

Throughout B.C., 366 new cases were reported on Monday, bringing the province's total number of cases to 8,208 since the start of the pandemic. There were 1,987 active cases in B.C. on Monday, Henry said, and more than 3,000 people being monitored because of potential exposure to the disease.

Across the province, 60 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, including 20 in intensive care.

 

ELECTION REACTION

Premier John Horgan didn't ask her for advice before calling an election this fall, Henry said. 

The election won't impact her office, which is an apolitical position, she said. While Health Minister Adrian Dix will no longer be part of the regular daily updates Henry provides on the COVID-19 situation, she will continue to work with the Ministry of Health in its response to the pandemic.

"The B.C. COVID-19 response will continue, uninterrupted," Henry said.

Henry will join B.C. Chief Electoral Officer Anton Boegman in a press conference on Tuesday to talk about the COVID-19 safety measures that will be in place during the provincial election.

"Each political party has come up with a COVID-19 safety plan, and Elections BC has developed a safety plan," she said.