Top Stories – Jan 13 – KGH Covid Outbreak

Compared to other hospitals, there haven’t been too many covid outbreaks at Kelowna General, but it is dealing with one now. It is in unit 3W which handles general and thoracic surgeries. So far 3 patients and 3 staff are affected and Interior Health says additional measures are in place including no non-essential visitors and regular covid testing.

There were 2,859 new covid cases in BC yesterday including 534 in Interior Health where there are 46-hundred active cases. The number of people in hospital with the virus in the region remains stable. 90 percent of adults in the province have received 2 vaccine doses, while 30% have had their booster.

Fortis BC set a new electricity usage record during the recent cold snap. On December 27, customers used 777 megawatts. This was 13 megawatts above the previous system peak of 764, set during the heat dome last June 29th.

Kids between 5 and 11 that live in Okanagan-Mission are #1 when it comes to vaccines. The latest data shows 55 percent of them have had their first dose, the best in all regions of Interior Health. Glenmore was next at 47 percent and Penticton was tied for third with Kamloops-Centre-South at 42 percent.

BC businesses can now apply for the COVID-19 Closure Relief Grant. It’s a new program the Province has fast-tracked to support businesses ordered to temporarily close due to recent public-health measures. They can apply for relief grants of between $1,000 and $10,000 at gov.bc.ca/business-relief.

The statistics are in and BC Emergency Health Services call takers and paramedics responded to 35,525 overdose calls in 2021. That’s the highest number ever recorded in the province. BCEHS says when paramedics respond to an overdose, the patient has a 95 percent chance of survival.

West Kelowna Council approved a congregate care facility development in the Smith Creek/Shannon Lake area. The development permit with variances are for 114 care units and amenity space within five, three-storey apartment buildings on Saddleback Way. The buildings could be 4 storeys in some areas.

A Vernon man involved in a violent hit and run in 2020 is now facing drug trafficking charges. After the vehicle was found, police discovered four kilograms of meth and four ounces of cocaine in a hidden compartment. The 29 year old has been hit with 2 trafficking charges.

The Canadian Armed Forces says its medical personnel are stretched to the limit during the pandemic, suggesting it has little to offer provincial health care systems overwhelmed by Omicron. The department says it currently has only half the required number of doctors to meet its own requirements. Right now there are about 200 non-medical personnel supporting vaccination efforts in Quebec.

Sports

In Prince George last night, 2 goals in the third period lifted the Spruce Kings to a 3-1 win over West Kelowna in BCHL action. The Warriors had tied the game at 1 after Prince George opened the scoring in the first period.

Major League Baseball and the players’ union plan to hold a bargaining session today. The league is expected to present the MLBPA with its first core economic proposal since locking the players out December 2nd when the previous CBA expired.

The Vancouver Canucks will try tonight to bounce back from Tuesday’s loss to the Panthers, when they take on the defending Stanley Cup Champion Lightning in Tampa Bay. The two Florida teams are on top of the Eastern Atlantic Division. Face off is at 4.

The NFL averaged 17.1 million viewers across television and digital platforms this season, the highest regular-season average viewership since 2015. That’s a 10% viewership increase from the 2020 campaign and in total, for those who like stats, fans watched 370 Billion minutes.

The self-inflicted problems don’t go away for Evander Kane. The NHL has informed teams that could be interested in signing Kane, that it is investigating him for crossing the U.S.-Canada border eight days after he tested positive for COVID in December.

The PGA Tour moves from Maui to Oahu this week for the Sony Open. Kevin Na is the defending champ at the event which has a total purse of 7.5 Million dollars of which the winner pockets 1.35 Million.