Vernon sees small increase in COVID-19 cases

The Vernon health area saw another small spike in new COVID-19 cases in the newest report from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC).

Between August 21 and 27, there were 15 cases of the virus confirmed in the area. That is up from the eight cases recorded the previous week.

Though local cases rose week-over-week, the centre’s data shows that regional numbers remained relatively flat, while provincial totals declined.

The agency’s report shows there were 153 cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the Interior and 651 in all of B.C. in the latest week. The Interior’s figure is up very slightly from the 152 cases the week before, while the provincial total was down from the 737 cases confirmed between Aug. 14 and 20.

The report stated there were 24 individuals admitted to hospital with COVID-19 in the Interior and 160 hospitalizations across B.C.. Those are down from the 34 regional hospitalizations and 213 hospital admissions across B.C. the previous week.

Four of the new hospital admissions in the Interior were admitted to intensive care units, while 25 British Columbians had to seek treatment in the ICU. Those are also down from the eight ICU admissions in the Interior and 44 patients in need of critical care across B.C. the week prior.

A total of 33 British Columbians died due to COVID-19 between Aug. 21 and 27, including 11 people from the Interior. The overall figure was down from the 45 deaths the previous week, but the regional death toll was up as there were eight deaths linked to COVID-19 in the Interior between the 14th and the 20th.

To date, there have been 382,436 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the province, including 68,068 in the Interior and 5,629 in the Vernon health area.

A total of 4,145 British Columbians have died due to the virus, and 605 of those deaths have come from the Interior.

The BCCDC did not provide hospitalization or death data for individual health areas.