Northern Health has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at the Dawson Creek and District Hospital after two inpatients tested positive.
The health authority says the outbreak is confined to the Medical Inpatient Unit for the moment.
Monitoring and testing is underway to identify any additional cases, and enhanced outbreak protocols are now in place.
This includes increased cleaning measures and symptom monitoring for staff and patients.
Movement between care areas will also be limited.
“Public health officials will be monitoring the situation carefully over coming weeks and will only declare the outbreak over when they are confident that chains of transmission have been stopped,” said Northern Health Spokesperson Eryn Collins.
Meanwhile, Dawson Creek is one of 13 communities that will be hosting additional AstraZeneca vaccine clinics, and the only one outside of the lower mainland.
People born in 1981 or before (40+) will be invited to book their vaccine appointments starting this week (April 19-23).
According to the province, the city has seen over 552 cases per 100,000 people in the span of a week, currently the highest transmission rate in the province.
Other municipalities on the list include North Surrey, Squamish, East and West Newton, Kensington and Fleetwood.
People will confirm whether they live in a high-transmission neighbourhood prioritized for immunization by entering their postal code.
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