Grand Forks’ local health area led the West Kootenay in new COVID-19 cases last week, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC).

The centre’s latest numbers, released Wednesday, Sept. 8, show 45 new cases were reported in Grand Forks’ local health area (LHA) in the week of Aug. 29 – Sept. 4. There were 25 new cases reported in the same period in the neighbouring Kettle Valley LHA, which includes the entire West Boundary. Those numbers were up by 15 and nearly 40 per cent in both LHAs, rising from 39 and 18 new cases the week before.

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New case levels meanwhile dropped across most LHAs in the East Kootenay. While new cases doubled from 2 to 4 in the Arrow Lakes LHA, they fell in the following LHAs — in some cases dramatically.

• Nelson dropped from 71 to 44 new cases (down nearly 40 per cent)

•Cranbrook dropped from 69 to 68 new cases

• Fernie went from 42 to 30 new cases (down nearly 30 per cent)

• Creston plummeted from 53 to 24 new cases (down nearly 55 per cent)

• Trail dropped from 53 to 24 new cases (down nearly 20 per cent)

• Castlegar dropped from 27 to 18 new cases (down 33 per cent)

• Kimberly dropped from 27 to 18 new cases (down 50 per cent)

The Central Okanagan LHA, which includes Kelowna, saw a drop from 511 to 479 new cases in the same period.

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Basic immunization levels (i.e., one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine) hovered at 75 and 68 per cent of over-12s in the Grand Forks and Kettle Valley LHAs as of Monday, Sept. 13, according to the BC CDC’s COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard.

Immunization levels were generally similar or higher in the East Kootenay and Central Okanagan LHAs, with the notable exception of Creston, as shown in the following breakdown:

• 74 per cent in Nelson

• 78 per cent in Cranbrook

• 79 per in Fernie

• 68 per cent in Creston

• 85 per cent in Trail

• 78 per cent in Castlegar

• 83 percent in Kimberly

• 75 per cent in Arrow Lakes.

• 81 per cent in the Central Okanagan

For more information about how to get vaccinated, visit the Government of BC’s website.

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Grand Forks Gazette