It’s a roller coaster ride of COVID-19 cases on Vancouver Island, as per the latest data from the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC).
Between Dec. 5 and 11, the North Island saw just nine cases of COVID-19, down 17 from the week before, with Campbell River seeing 36, an increase of seven.
Farther south, the BCCDC’s newest Local Health Area map, released yesterday (Dec. 15), finds the Comox Valley trailing Surrey for the highest COVID-19 case rate in all of B.C.
Between Dec. 5 and 11, the region had 171 active COVID cases. That’s an increase of 15 from the previous week, Nov. 28 to Dec. 4.
But local medical health officer Dr. Charmaine Enns says the Valley’s case uptick doesn’t come as a surprise, and notes it’s occurring against a background of a highly vaccinated population.
“The majority of cases are linked to known cases and clusters, many are the result of close contact within households, and hospitalization rates remain low,” Enns told our newsroom.
She says 90 percent of those 12 and up in the Valley have received one dose of vaccine, with 85 per cent now fully vaccinated.
READ MORE: Medical health officer says uptick in COVID-19 cases ‘not unexpected’ in Comox Valley
Meanwhile, Island Health has added more schools to its ‘Potential Exposures in Schools’ list.
A total of 40 schools currently sit on the list, found here. Nine are in the Comox Valley and one is in Campbell River, with dates of potential exposure ranging from Nov. 22 to Dec. 10.
Island Health says it works to identify all cases and close contacts at schools, meaning those who haven’t been notified can continue to attend school unless symptoms arise.
