Coronavirus: Downward trend of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Okanagan continues

Following a recent bump in the road, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Okanagan resumed its downward trend.

According to data from the B.C. Centre of Disease Control, there were 69 cases throughout the Okanagan region from Feb. 26 to March 4.

Since the beginning of January, case totals have consistently been dropping week by week — except for the week of Feb. 19-25, which bucked that trend, when the caseload slightly jumped up by four cases, to 75 from 71 the week prior.

However, while the Okanagan saw a decrease for the last week of February, that wasn’t the case for the entire Interior Health region.

In fact, the region as a whole actually saw growth in its weekly caseload data.

From Feb. 21-27, there were 231 total cases in Interior Health. That’s up 49 cases from the week before, Feb. 14-20, when 182 cases were reported.

Confused yet? Wait, there’s more.

The Kamloops subregion had the largest spike jumping to 124 cases from 78.

In the Central Okanagan, site of the second-most cases, the jump was considerably less, to 42 from 36.

Vernon saw a six-case jump, to 15 from nine, while Merritt grew seven cases, to 19 from 12.

5:35 B.C. officials report 634 new COVID-19 cases, four additional deaths

While those subregions experienced case growth, most subregions saw falling numbers, such as the South Okanagan, which fell to two from 10; or Salmon Arm, to three from eight.

Further, the number of subregions with zero cases stayed mostly the same, at 14, down from 15 the week prior.

Below are the weekly case totals for the Okanagan since late October:

• Oct. 30 to Nov. 12: 144 cases
• Nov. 13-26: 420 cases
• Nov. 20 to Dec. 3: 597 cases
• Dec. 4-10: 371 cases
• Dec. 11-17: 375 cases
• Dec. 18-24: 290 cases
• Dec. 25-31: 210 cases
• Jan. 1-7: 303 cases
• Jan. 8-14: 222 cases
• Jan. 15-21: 173 cases
• Jan. 22-28: 152 cases
• Jan. 29 to Feb. 4: 150 cases
• Feb. 5-11: 90 cases
• Feb. 12-18: 71
• Feb. 19-25: 75 cases
• Feb. 26 – March 4: 69 cases

1:48 Health Canada approves Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Number of cases per major region, from Jan. 1, 2020 to March 4, 2021:

Note: Prior cases from Jan. 1, 2020, to Feb. 25, 2021, in brackets

• Okanagan: 4,325 cases (4,245)
• Thompson-Cariboo-Shuswap: 2,626 cases (2,469)
• East Kootenay: 390 cases (371)
• Kootenay Boundary: 214 cases (210)

Number of cases per major region from Feb. 26, 2021, to March 4, 2021:

Note: Prior cases from Feb. 19-25, 2021 in brackets

• Thompson-Cariboo-Shuswap: 119 cases (141)
• Okanagan: 69 cases (75)
• East Kootenay: 13 cases (8)
• Kootenay Boundary: 3 cases (6)

2:02 Concerns over second vaccine dose timing and cancelled clinics

Number of cases per subregion or local health authority, from January 2020 to February 2021:

Note: Prior cases from January 2020 to January 2021 in brackets:

• Central Okanagan: 2,959 (2,739)
• Kamloops: 1,246 (774)
• Vernon: 605 (554)
• Cariboo / Chilcotin: 459 (410)
• Penticton: 270 (257)
• South Okanagan: 251 (235)
• Salmon Arm: 243 (192)
• Revelstoke: 211 (163)
• Merritt: 191 (105)
• Fernie: 155 (155)
• 100 Mile House: 102 (97)
• Cranbrook: 83 (72)
• Nelson: 72 (72)
• Summerland: 65 (57)
• Kettle Valley: 63 (58)
• Golden: 60 (58)
• Enderby: 56 (53)
• Armstrong: 52 (47)
• Windermere: 34 (32)
• South Cariboo: 28 (24)
• Creston: 22 (23)
• Lillooet: 22 (22)
• Trail: 21 (19)
• Castlegar: 19 (18)
• Kimberley: 19 (14)
• Keremeos: 18 (17)
• Grand Forks: 13 (8)
• North Thompson: 9 (8)
• Kootenay Lake: 5 (5)
• Princeton: 5 (4)
• Arrow Lakes: 3 (3)

3:30 Study aims to better understand COVID-19 transmission in schools

Number of cases per subregion or local health authority, from Feb. 21-27, 2021:

Note: Prior cases from Feb. 14-20, 2021 in brackets

• Kamloops: 124 (78)
• Central Okanagan: 42 (36)
• Merritt: 19 (12)
• Vernon: 15 (9)
• Cariboo-Chilcotin: 8 (7)
• Cranbrook: 4 (6)
• Penticton: 4 (3)
• Salmon Arm: 3 (8)
• Grand Forks: 2 (3)
• South Okanagan: 2 (10)
• Trail: 2 (0)
• Golden: 1 (0)
• Kettle Valley: 1 (1)
• North Thompson: 1 (0)
• Revelstoke: 1 (4)
• South Cariboo: 1 (0)
• Summerland: 1 (1)
• 100 Mile House: 0 (0)
• Armstrong: 0 (0)
• Arrow Lakes: 0 (0)
• Castlegar: 0 (0)
• Creston: 0 (0)
• Enderby: 0 (0)
• Fernie: 0 (1)
• Keremeos: 0 (0)
• Kimberley: 0 (2)
• Kootenay Lake: 0 (0)
• Lillooet: 0 (0)
• Nelson: 0 (0)
• Princeton: 0 (1)
• Windermere: 0 (0)

Find the latest coronavirus statistics on the B.C. Centre of Disease Control’s website.

1:49 Keith Baldrey on the light at the end of B.C.’s COVID-19 tunnel