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By Caden Fanshaw

COVID-19

B.C. reports first case of new COVID-19 strain

Dec 27, 2020 | 1:43 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The new strain of the COVID-19 virus has officially been confirmed in the Island Health Region as per BC health officials on Sunday.

The individual, returned to B.C. from the U.K. on flight AC855 on Dec. 15, 2020, developed symptoms while in quarantine and was immediately tested.

Testing confirmed the positive diagnosis on Dec. 19, 2020; a small number of close contacts have been isolated and public health is following up with them daily.

This comes after the first case of the new variant was confirmed on Canadian soil in Ontario Saturday.

The variant strain was detected by the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) Public Health Laboratory in its review of all isolates from people who had recently returned from travel to the U.K.

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Health officials say the strain is more infectious than the original strain of COVID-19, although is not believed to be more deadly.

Whole-genome sequencing at the BCCDC identified this as the same as the variant seen in the U.K. Ongoing review may identify additional cases in the coming days.

BC says they fully support the Canada-wide travel ban on all flights arriving from the U.K. until Jan. 6, 2021, and urges all British Columbians to continue to avoid all non-essential travel to keep people and communities safe.