While BC's COVID counts surge, Prince Rupert's total case count to October 31 is but 5 confirmed cases

When it comes to COVID awareness, whatever COVID related measures you are using around the Prince Rupert area, keep up the good work! 

Your attention to the guidance from the Public Health Officer and perhaps a bit of good fortune, have combined to make the Prince Rupert area among the lowest of case counts of the coronavirus in the province.

The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control has provided it's latest update on community COVID case counts, and the news is still rather positive for Prince Rupert, with only five cases of the coronavirus confirmed for this area  from January to October.

The Cumulative Cases Data sheet released this week compares the confirmed number of cases by communities and Prince Rupert has fared well compared to much of the Northwest and the larger centre of Prince George.

The data review shows the following local cases as of October 31 along the Highway 16 corridor area:

Burns Lake -- 2 cases
Nisga'a - Nass -- 2 cases
Kitimat -- 4 cases
Prince Rupert -- 5 cases
Terrace -- 20 cases
Nechako Region -- 26 cases
Haida Gwaii -- 27 cases
Smithers -- 42 cases
Prince George -- 99 cases

On the Central Coast there were 5 cases recorded to October 31st, with 6 cases recorded in the Bella Coola Valley.

So far, Stikine, Telegraph Creek, Snow Country and Upper Skeena have remained COVID free.

The Prince Rupert numbers make for an increase of just two cases since the last report of the end of September. 

The most dramatic increase for the Northwest appears to be the numbers recorded in the Bulkley Valley.

At the end of August those case counts had been listed as 6 cases, making for a jump of 36 in the month since the last report.

There is no explanation included as part of the data sheet for the sudden rise of the case count in the Bulkley Valley. 

The high number for Haida Gwaii is from the summer outbreak that took place.

Yesterday Doctor Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix highlighted some of the latest data from the Centre as part of their Thursday briefing, you can review their slideshow presentation here.

The BC CDC data page provides for a range of material on COVID and the provincial response to the virus. The data that is provided related to Health Service Delivery areas is updated weekly, while the data that lists the community levels is released monthly.

You can access the most recent BC CDC data here.

The latest update from Doctor Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix can be found from our archive page here.