New data presented by the provincial government shows if British Columbia continues its current trend there will be more new cases of COVID-19 than during the virus’s current peak.
The province’s modelling shows if British Columbians don’t change their behavior then cases will continue to up through August and into September.
The data shows a current trend showing on average around 75 new cases a day into September. If contact rates move from 70 per cent of normal, which is close to where we are now, to 80 per cent of normal, cases will surge even higher. The 80 per cent of normal projections shows cases skyrocketing to more than 100 a day.
But what is different now, compared to the spring, is who is getting the virus and hospitalizations.
Those aged 20 to 40 are making up the majority of COVID cases but go to the hospital at a much lower rate than those over the age of 60.
Less than 5 per cent of the hospitalizations are made up of those 20 to 29. Compare that to those aged 70 to 79 where they make up more than 30 per cent of the COVID-19 patients in the hospital.
In total 57 people in B.C. under the age of 40 have ended up in the hospital, of which just three are under the age of 20.
The province is also presenting data for the first time on where exposures are happening.
During the June return to school, zero students contracted the virus in connection to the return.
Since the start of the Phase 3 and the encouragement to travel there has been a surge in those 20 to 39 years old getting the virus at parties and gatherings rather than through a household contact or a reported outbreak.
–more to come