Strict COVID-19 measures returning to northern B.C. hospital in wake of outbreaks

Health measures are being expanded at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia in Prince Georgeto reduce the risk of spreadingCOVID-19 after outbreaks in two inpatient units.

In a statement, Northern Health saysonly essential visitors will be allowed in any area of the facility as of Thursday. This includes visits for compassionate care, including end-of-life care, and visitors accompanying patients with physical or mental care needs.

The health authority says it is also reinstatingphysical distancing, occupancy limits and masking protocols.

The Northern Health region has been struck hard by the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, reporting more than double the provincial average of new COVID-19 casesand more than four times the hospitalization rateof other health regions per 100,000 people.

Many patients have been transported outside of the health authority after hospitals in the region started reachingcapacity.

Dr. David Forrest, a critical care specialist at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, saysroughly two-thirds ofCOVID-19 patients admitted to his hospital's ICU Wednesday were from the Northern Health Authority.

"What's unusual about this is, I think the number of patients that are requiring critical care right now related to a particular disease. And so that is certainly straining resources because it's a massive surge compared to what we usually see," Forrest said.

Vaccination rates lagging

The vast majority of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the north are unvaccinated, with the region strugglingto reach the same level of vaccination uptake as in B.C.'s other regions.

One issue has been COVID-19 outbreaks at industrial worksites,which includesLNG Canada's facilities, theSite C dam, as well as the Coastal GasLink pipeline.

On Tuesday, Dr. Bonnie Henry said she had written to all major industrial employers in the province recommending they implement a mandatory vaccine policy.

On Wednesday, LNG Canada announced amandatory vaccine policy, and onThursday, B.C. Hydro introduced a vaccine mandate for its workers including for workers at the Site C dam in northeastern B.C.