Okanagan virus transmission rate among lowest in the province
Twenty-six new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the Okanagan over the past two weeks, newly released statistics show.
That brings to 378 the number of people in the Valley who’ve tested positive for the disease since the start of the pandemic earlier this year.
One-tenth of one per cent of the 376,590 people who live in the Okanagan have been infected. The infection rate is down slightly from last week.
Daily COVID-19 case counts are released giving just the numbers in each health authority, of which there are five across B.C. But every Thursday, the BC CDC releases more detailed information on cases within each health authority.
Only once a month, the BC CDC releases COVID-19 case numbers in specific communities, such as the Central Okanagan, and the areas around Penticton and Vernon.
Almost half of all COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks have been in the Fraser South health service delivery area, which includes cities such as Surrey, Delta and Langley.
An additional 29 per cent have been
reported in the City of Vancouver.
The Okanagan, like virtually all areas outside the Lower Mainland, has lower rates of COVID-19 transmission.
The Thursday release of information, called a surveillance report, also shows:
— the median age for people in the Interior Health region who’ve been infected by COVID-19 is 36, compared to the provincial median age of 38;
— the median age of those who’ve required hospitalization because of the disease in IH is 63; the provincial median age is 66;
— two of the 587 people infected by COVID-19 in the IH service area have died;
— 95 per cent of those across IH who’ve had the disease have recovered; there are currently 26 active cases.