The number of coronavirus cases continues to trend upwards in B.C.’s Southern Interior, with 34 new lab-confirmed cases announced on Thursday in the Interior Health region.
In the Okanagan region specifically, the latest data shows there were 144 cases of the coronavirus over a two week period, from Oct. 30 to Nov. 12.
Ninety cases were confirmed in the Okanagan region during the previous reporting period in the second half of October.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate is also on the rise in the Interior Health region.
The positivity rate was 3.29 per cent on Nov. 9, which is more than double it was the week prior, at 1.46 per cent on Nov. 2.
The percentage of all coronavirus tests performed that actually test positive help health officials determine how widespread infection is in the community.
A flare-up of exposures has occurred in recent weeks in Central Okanagan schools, with nine schools reporting coronavirus exposure events since the start of November.
Interior Health, however, said there is no evidence that coronavirus transmission is occurring within the school setting.
“In general, COVID-19 transmission within the school would be required to trigger an outbreak,” Interior Health said in a statement.
“What we are seeing is community-acquired COVID-19 being brought into schools.”
While health officials announced four new cases at Kelowna Secondary School (KSS) over the weekend, bringing the total to 7, Interior Health said it will no longer announce school case counts.
“Similar to a business, or any other COVID-19 exposure, indicating the number of cases at a school could lead to assumptions about people’s health that infringes on their privacy,” IH said in the statement.
“Knowing a school has had a potential exposure means we want everyone to self-monitor a little more closely,” IH said. “Anyone actually exposed will be contacted directly.”
According to case data available from the BC Centre for Disease Control, there have been at least 19 cases of coronavirus in children aged 10-19 in the IH region, since early November.
There were an additional two cases in children under 10 on Nov. 4 and Nov. 5 in the Interior Health region.
At her Thursday briefing, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said 155 people were in the hospital province-wide with the virus.
The previous record of 149 was recorded in the first week of April.
Provincial health officials also announced on Thursday that there were 5,793 active cases — a record number.
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