New COVID-19 cases continue to spike in Heritage City
By Lone Sheep Publishing
While the Central Okanagan, in and around Kelowna, tops the province with highest number of new COVID-19 cases, the Heritage City proving to the hotspot for the Kootenays.
Nelson ballooned to 74 new reported COVID-19 cases as the BC Centre of Disease Control released is most recent numbers for the week of August 1-7, 2021, on the Geographic Distribution of COVID-19 by Local Health Area of Case Residence.
The last week of July, Nelson reported 38 new COVID-19 cases.
The map illustrates the geographic distribution of reported cases in the epidemiological week (from Sunday to Saturday).
The map was created August 11 by the BCCDC for public release.
Castlegar, 50 kilometers to the west of Nelson, checked in with 30 new COVID-19 cases while Arrow Lakes reported 11 cases and Trail had 10. Grand Forks reported four new cases while the Kettle Valley had no new cases.
In the East Kootenay, Creston had 17 new COVID-19 cases while Cranbrook reported 18 and Fernie 13.
The Central Okanagan continues to be the region with the most cases in BC during the reporting week — 849.
The spike forced Interior Health in implement new restrictions on Friday, August 6, 2021, as well as additional rules on Monday, August 9, 2021, to curb the transmission.
Vernon reported 91 new COVID-19 cases while Kamloops had 59, Penticton 19, Wednesday, BC reported its highest case count since May with 536 — 258 in Interior Health.
The BC Ministry of Health said there are 3,585 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 148,446 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 72 individuals are in hospital and 29 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
There are eight active COVID-19 outbreaks in the province, including Nelson Jubilee Manor declared by Interior Health on July 23rd.
In Nelson, several businesses in the hospitality industry have been forced to close due to staff testing positive, or coming into contact, with COVID-19.
Wednesday, the Regional District of Central Kootenay confirmed a positive COVID-19 case at the Nelson and District Community Complex, when a camp participant in the program on August 5 and 6, tested positive.
The BCCDC said the number of cases in the Local Health Area may not represent the location of exposure — people who acquire disease while travelling of working elsewhere — and that not all COVID-19 infected individuals are test and reported; the virus may be circulating undetected in the community, including areas where no cases have been identified by public health.
