VANCOUVER —
The latest map of COVID-19 cases in B.C. is covered in splotches of dark red, indicating large numbers of per-capita infections in many regions of the province.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control published the map Thursday of confirmed coronavirus cases during the week of Jan. 17 to 23. The map shows both the total number of cases detected in each of the province’s “local health areas” during the specified week, as well as the number of cases recorded per 100,000 residents each day during the period.
The darkest shade of red on the map indicates regions that saw more than 20 new cases per 100,000 residents during that week.
Notably, the only health authority in B.C. without a dark red region is Fraser Health, which has held the largest caseload in the province throughout most of the pandemic.
The local health area that makes up most of the City of Surrey had the largest number of cases in the province during the week that ended on Jan. 23, with 589. Due to Surrey’s population, however, that number equates to between 15 and 20 cases per 100,000 residents.
Two other local health areas in the Fraser Health region recorded comparable levels of new cases last week: Abbotsford, which saw 201 new cases confirmed, and Chilliwack, which added 122 cases.
Elsewhere in B.C. per-capita caseloads are higher.
In Northern Health, the map showed seven local areas recorded more than 20 new infections per day per 100,000 residents, which is more regions that saw such a high level of new cases during the week in question than any other health authority.
The Northern Health regions that recorded the highest level of per-capita cases are Terrace, Prince Rupert, Fort Nelson, Kitimat, Burns Lake, Nisga’a and the combined region of Snow Country, Stikine and Telegraph Creek.
In Vancouver Coastal Health, the Howe Sound local health area – which includes recently hard-hit Whistler – added 224 new cases during the week shown on the map, equivalent to more than 20 per day per 100,000 residents.
Though it recorded only 12 new cases during the week in question, the Bella Coola Valley ranks as the other local health area in Vancouver Coastal Health that added more than 20 daily cases per 100,000.
In Interior Health, the local health areas of Fernie, Salmon Arm and Cariboo-Chilcotin all topped the 20-cases-per-100,000 mark last week.
The health authority has been monitoring clusters of COVID-19 cases in both Fernie and Cariboo-Chilcotin in recent weeks. Both clusters have been linked to local social gatherings, according to Interior Health.
On Vancouver Island, there is just one local health area that added 20 cases per 100,000 people, and it seems to be in this category primarily because of its remoteness and small population.
The area in question, Vancouver Island West, recorded a total of four new cases between Jan. 17 and 23. Significantly more infections – 75 – were detected in the Cowichan Valley South local health area. That total works out to between 15 and 20 cases per day per 100,000 residents of the region.
