Virus levelling across the Okanagan
The average number of people in the Central Okanagan who test positive for COVID-19 each day has fallen to less than 10 from a peak of 50 in early December.
Sixty-five people in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country and Peachland were confirmed to have the disease between Jan. 17 and Jan. 23, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control says.
For nearly two months, new daily case counts have dropped steadily in the Central Okanagan.
The peak of 50 was recorded just after the province introduced new public health measures intended to curb the spread of the virus, such as banning people from visiting in each other’s homes, and pausing some adult sports and religious services.
Reports of new daily infections, based on the most recent B.C. CDC data, were also down to eight from 14 in Vernon, down to 1.3 from two in Penticton, and down to 0.8 from three in the South Okanagan.
No Lower Mainland municipality is currently ranked in the highest classification used by the B.C. CDC to measure the spread of the virus. The province’s fastest rates of transmission are around Fort Nelson, in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, Howe Sound, and the Bella Coola Valley.
Revelstoke, which had seen an outbreak of COVID-19, recorded only two cases between Jan. 17 and Jan. 23, and there were no cases at all in Nelson, Creston, Grand Forks and Castlegar.
The next update from the BC CDC on case counts in specific B.C. communities is set for Wednesday.
On Monday, B.C. reported 1,158 COVID-19 cases over the weekend.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says 21 people died over the three-day period, bringing B.C.’s total number of COVID-19 deaths to 1,210 people.
She says B.C. has also identified 18 cases of COVID-19 variants, with four being cases of the South African variant and 14 cases confirmed as the U.K. variant. Henry says 79 people are in intensive care in B.C.