The Medical Health Officer for Northern Health is extremely pleased with how residents have bought into the guidelines and restrictions put in place during COVID-19.
The health authority has only recorded 66 test positive cases since March, with one considered active.
Dr. Raina Fumerton told Vista Radio being away from all the action in the Lower Mainland has worked to their advantage.
“We also have the luxury of having the more rural and remote setting and so our communities are spread a little further apart from one another and we also have a lot of wide-open spaces with which we can more easily physically distance.”
“Due to our location and the relative or proportionate difference in the amount of international travel in and out of our region and we have the benefit of having some time to ensure we were prepared but also a bit of lag time so that we were able to implement all of the measures.”
Fumerton gives a lot of credit to her medical team for working non-stop during the pandemic.
“We’ve had no COVID related deaths period in the Northern Health Authority and we’ve actually had no facility outbreaks. I can’t speak for certain at other health authorities whether both of those conditions are also true but I am certainly pleased to be able to say that about the north.”
In addition, NH also has the distinction of recording the fewest number of deaths out of all five health authorities at just over 6-thousand, with the second-fewest being Island Health at 23,778.
Fumerton clarified the stance on whether or not our region faces a longer turnaround time on test results.
“Generally speaking, it takes about one to two days after the test is sent out and we also have testing capacity at our three hub centres as well (Terrace, Fort St John, and Prince George)
She adds for those living in a more remote setting, a delay of one or two days may occur when awaiting test results.
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