Central Okanagan’s COVID-19 caseload continues to come down

The Central Okanagan’s weekly tally of COVID-19 cases fell below 200 for the first time in months, according to the latest information from the BC Centre for Disease Control.

In the week spanning Oct. 3 to Oct. 9, there were 186 COVID-19 cases reported in the Central Okanagan. That’s a reduction of 16 per cent from the week earlier, when there were 223 cases reported. It’s also 61 per cent fewer cases than the first week of September, when the greater Kelowna area saw 478 cases.

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All Okanagan cities other than Enderby have moved out of the hot zone, as illustrated by the BCCDC map of local health areas, which is more than 20 cases per 100,000 population, and into the more manageable territory of five to 10 cases per week.

And, as was the case last week, the Central Okanagan saw the most improvement in the valley, though it started in the worst position and Penticton saw a relatively sharp uptick in cases.

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It had 63 cases from Oct. 3 to Oct 9, which is a rise of 213 per cent from the 20 cases it had in the previous week. That said, the recent number is more in line with what’s been happening in the South Okanagan city. It had 69 cases two weeks earlier and 53 cases the week preceding that.

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Vernon was stable week over week, with the BCCDC reporting 63 cases diagnosed there from Oct. 3 to Oct 9. It reported 64 a week earlier and 56 the week before.

“We are starting to bend our curve downwards for this fourth wave, and we are now seeing a slight decrease in the Interior Health region,” interim chief medical health officer Dr. Sue Pollock told Interior Health board members during a virtual meeting a week ago.

Vaccination rates around the Okanagan are on the rise, which may be contributing to lower case counts.

On Tuesday, the BC Centre for Disease Control also released another week of data on vaccination rates, showing that rates are still on the rise in the Central Okanagan.

Ninety per cent of people in Glenmore aged 12 and older have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. In Okanagan Mission, the rate is 88 per cent and it’s 87 per cent in downtown Kelowna. Rutland has reached 81 per cent and Lake Country is at 82 per cent coverage, with one shot.

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The vaccination rate is 80 per cent in the rural Central Okanagan area, including Peachland and Joe Rich. West Kelowna has an 85 per cent coverage rate.

The one-dose vaccination rate for ages 12 and up in Penticton is 86 per cent and it’s 83 per cent in Vernon-Coldstream.