COVID cases dropping in Valley
65 tested positive last week, down from 314 in early January
Reports of new COVID-19 cases shrank by half last week in the Kelowna area, while counts in Penticton and Vernon held steady.
There were 65 people who tested positive for the virus Jan. 17-23 in the Central Okanagan, down from 139 the previous week, according to fresh data released Thursday by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
Penticton’s weekly count slipped from 11 to nine, while Vernon’s remained unchanged at 59.
Efforts to contain the virus appear to be working in Kelowna and Penticton, which reported 314 and 50 new cases, respectively, in the first week of January. Vernon has gone the other way from just 21 cases at the start of the month.
With the exception of Vernon, the new numbers also represent a big improvement from the beginning of December, when B.C.’s second wave of COVID-19 was cresting.
For the week of Nov. 29-Dec. 5, there were 314 new cases in Central Okanagan.
As of Thursday, there had been a total of 6,080 cases of COVID-19 and 69 deaths recorded in the Interior Health region, which has roughly 750,000 residents.
Meanwhile, B.C.’s Health Ministry announced 546 new cases of COVID19 across the province on Thursday, up from 485 on Wednesday, but down from 564 a week earlier. Residents of the Interior Health region accounted for 70 of the new cases.
B.C. also reported 12 more deaths Thursday, lifting the total since the start of the pandemic to 1,184.
“In recent weeks, we have seen an increase in community clusters and exposures in businesses, and we remind business owners now is not the time to let things slip,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said in a press release.
“WorkSafeBC and environmental health teams have stepped up inspections and will take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of communities, including shutting a business if required.
“Equally important, all businesses that can accommodate employees to work from home should ensure that continues. The fewer people you see, the safer everyone will be.”