More COVID cases recorded at Big White
The 15 new cases are not a surprise, as they are linked to the previous COVID cases, says Interior Health
Fifteen new cases of COVID-19 have been linked to the COVID-19 cluster at Big White, Interior Health reported on Tuesday.
The total number of cases at the ski resort is now 111. There are currently 17 active cases, 94 people have recovered and 77 of the victims reside on the mountain.
“We continue to see a small increase in cases, but these are connected to other cases so are not unexpected,” IH said in a news release.
Across the health region, a total of 238 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the last five days.
With almost 2,000 additional cases provincewide since Christmas Eve, the number of British Columbians infected by the disease has now topped 50,000 since the onset of the pandemic.
Since Dec. 24, 74 more deaths due to COVID-19 were reported, bringing the province-wide death toll from the disease to 882.
With New Year's Eve on Thursday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry appealed for people to obey public health orders and not celebrate the arrival of 2021 in large groups.
“We need to make our entire holiday season a quiet holiday season, including the upcoming New Year's. The turning of the calendar to 2021 is something I know we are all looking forward to,” she said.
“Absolutely, toast the year to come, continue with your family and cultural traditions. But we must do so without the usual house parties or celebrations this year.”
That’s particularly important, Henry said, given that a new variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has arrived in B.C.
It seems to pass more easily from person to person, she said, though there are no indications it causes a more severe illness or will be resistant to the vaccines now being administered.
“We have to keep our numbers small,” Henry said. “Right now, that’s also an order. You need to stay with your household for any social gatherings.
“That is important for us to prevent the transmission of all covid, but now particularly this variant as well,” Henry said.
Almost 12,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been distributed across B.C. There have been two allergic reactions, something Henry said was not unexpected, and both people have recovered.