Open Letter to the Public from Kootenay Boundary Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
To the citizens of Kootenay Boundary, Everyone in our region has been stressed by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years. We have all been subjected to a barrage of information, advice, and instructions; always evolving and sometimes conflicting. We write to explain our perspectives as Family Practitioners (Family...
Interior Health resuming temporarily paused services
Interior Health is taking a phased approach to resume services that were temporarily paused last month due to COVID-19. The service adjustments, announced Jan. 18, were implemented to preserve safe and reliable access to patient care across the Interior region. “The Omicron-driven COVID-19 staffing impacts on the health system...
More rapid tests, ventilation support for K-12 sector
Further pandemic supports are coming for B.C. students and schools, with 300,000 rapid antigen test kits to be delivered in phases. The first phase will be rural and remote school districts for use by students with symptoms of COVID-19. “By making rapid tests available to symptomatic students in rural and remote communities,...
Interior Health encourages families to get their COVID-19 pediatric vaccines by Family Day
Local pediatricians and Interior Health are encouraging families to set a goal this winter: get everyone in your household age five and over vaccinated before Family Day (Feb. 21). “The pediatric COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, and we encourage families to make their vaccination plans now to get children immunized as...
Rapid test kits distributed for symptomatic school staff
This week, 200,000 rapid antigen test kits are being shipped to the kindergarten-to-Grade 12 (K-12) sector for use by staff, teachers and administrators with symptoms of COVID-19. Rapid antigen tests are an additional tool that can be used to support the continuity of learning in schools with the aim to reduce transmission ...
City of Trail responds to rising COVID-19 cases in the community
The City of Trail wishes to acknowledge the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the area and how it may impact City facilities and services. Although the City continues to follow all safety measures and orders issued by the Provincial Health Officer (PHO), City staff, like all other businesses, are still at risk of exposure ...
BC records 9,332 COVID-19 cases over weekend 1,185 in IHA
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...
High compliance with vaccination requirement for BC Public Service
The vast majority of B.C. public servants are fully vaccinated, providing the best defence for themselves and the British Columbians they serve. More than 98% of people working for the provincial government have met the requirement under the proof of vaccination policy that came into effect on Nov. 22, 2021, and are partially...
IHA sees 85 new cases, no new deaths
As of Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, 84.8% (4,225,218) of eligible people five and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 81.7% (4,069,988) have received their second dose. In addition, 91.1% (4,224,201) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 87.8% ...
Interior Health lifts regional COVID-19 orders
Interior Health will lift the COVID-19 regional medical health officer Gatherings and Events Order at midnight tonight. “We’ve been closely monitoring COVID-19 activity, hospitalizations, and immunization rates in Interior Health and we’ve seen our cases drop,” said Dr. Sue Pollock, Interior Health’s interim chief medical...
