Terrace local health area has recorded six cases of COVID-19 since pandemic began

For the first time, the Province has released more specific data about where COVID-19 cases have occurred.

The most recent release of cumulative cases from January to July breaks down the health regions into local health areas (LHA). It shows that the Terrace LHA, which includes the communities of Terrace, Thornhill, Kitsumkalum, Gitanyow and Kitwanga has recorded six confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

LHAs are further broken down into Community Health Service Areas (CHSA) of which there are two in the Terrace LHA, Terrace City Centre (Terrace and Kitsumkalum), and Terrace Rural (surrounding area including Thornhill, Gitanyow and Kitwanga).

Data for each of the CHSAs is not available, however.

READ MORE: B.C. reports 68 new COVID-19 cases, one death as it releases city-level data

In the Northwest Health Service Delivery Area (HSDA) there are 10 LHAs. Of these only Smithers, Terrace, Kitimat and Haida Gwaii have recorded cases. Terrace has had six, Smithers five, Kitimat three and Haida Gwaii 20.

For heavily populated areas of the province, such as Lower Mainland, the release provided city-level data for the first time, but not for more sparsely populated areas such as the northwest.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said there are enough cases now that privacy is no longer an issue.

Initially, reporting was only done at the health authority level, or for specific outbreaks such as health facilities and meat-packing plants. As the pandemic progressed, reporting expanded to the HSDA level and now for LHAs.

With files from Thom Barker, Smithers Interior News