Active COVID-19 cases in Delta climbed slightly last week, after falling to a 33-week low the week before.
The latest weekly map released by the BC Centre for Disease Control showing the geographic distribution of COVID-19 cases by local health area (LHA) of residence shows Delta had six cases for the week of July 18 to 24, up four from the week before.
The two cases for the week ending July 17 marked the fewest active cases in the city since the BC CDC began releasing LHA-level data on Dec. 5, 2020.
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The overall number of active cases in the Fraser Health region increased by 34 cases last week, the same amount it fell the week before. Last week’s total marks the second increase in three weeks after nearly three months of falling COVID numbers in the region.
Eight of the 13 local health areas in the region saw increases from the previous week, while four saw decreases and one saw no change.
The most notable increases were in Surrey (36 cases, up 12 from the week before) and Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows (31, up 20). Burnaby, meanwhile, which saw a 13-case spike the week ending July 17, dropped the same number of cases last week, to a total of 14. Mission held steady at three cases, while Hope registered its first case in three weeks.
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Data shared on the BC CDC’s COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard Tuesday shows Delta had an overall daily average of one new cases per 100,000 people for the week of July 20 to 26, up from zero the week before.
Broken down by community health service areas (CHSAs), that’s zero cases per 100,000 people in North Delta and Ladner (unchanged from the week before), and three in Tsawwassen (up from one the week before). The CHSA of Tsawwassen is comprised of both the Delta community and the Tsawwassen First Nation.
Delta’s total case count over that time frame (five) represented one per cent of cases in B.C. that week, unchanged from the previous two weeks. Delta is home to two per cent of the province’s population.
The overall test positivity rate in Delta for the week ending July 26 was one per cent, unchanged from the week before, but the rates varied slightly between Delta’s three CHSAs.
North Delta and Ladner both had rates of zero per cent, while Tsawwassen had a rate of two per cent. All three rates were unchanged from the week before.
Positivity rates were the similar when looking only at public tests — one per cent for Delta as a whole, zero per cent for North Delta and Ladner, and three per cent in Tsawwassen — all unchanged from the week before.
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The dashboard also shows breakdowns of vaccine coverage across the CHSAs by age (12+, 18+, 18-49 and 50+) and — new this week — provides the number of both people who have received their first does and those who have received two doses.
As of July 26, Delta continued to lead all other LHAs in Fraser Health with 87 per cent of adults aged 12 and over having received at least their first does of vaccine, unchanged from the week before. As well, 68 per cent of residents 12 and over have received their second dose as well.
Broken down by CHSA, that’s 86 per cent first dose coverage in North Delta (unchanged from the week before), 89 per cent in Ladner (up one per cent from the week before), and 88 per cent in Tsawwassen (up one per cent from the week before). In terms of second dose rates, that’s 65 per cent in North Delta, 70 per cent in Ladner and 71 per cent in Tsawwassen.
Limited to adults 18 and over, first dose rates were 88 per cent for Delta as a whole (up one per cent from the week before), 87 for North Delta (unchanged), 89 for Ladner (unchanged) and 88 for Tsawwassen (unchanged). Second dose rates were 72 per cent for Delta as a whole, 69 for North Delta, 74 for Ladner ans 75 for Tsawwassen.
However, vaccine uptake was markedly different between those 18-49 and those 50 and over.
For adults 50 and over, first dose coverage in Delta was 91 per cent (unchanged from the week previous). Broken down by CHSA, that’s 91 per cent in North Delta (unchanged), 92 in Ladner (unchanged) and 92 in Tsawwassen (up one per cent from the week before). Second dose rates were 84 per cent for Delta as a whole, 82 for North Delta, 86 for Ladner and 86 for Tsawwassen.
For those aged 18-49, first dose coverage was lower — 85 per cent for Delta overall (up from 84), 85 for North Delta (up from 84), 86 for Ladner (up from 85) and 82 for Tsawwassen (up from 81). Second dose rates were 59 per cent for Delta as a whole, 59 for North Delta, 59 for Ladner and 57 for Tsawwassen.
After Delta, the other LHAs in the region with the highest first dose vaccine coverage for adults aged 12 and over are New Westminster and Surrey with 85 per cent (up from 84 the week before) followed by Burnaby (84 per cent, up from 83) the South Surrey/White Rock and Tri-Cities (83 per cent, unchanged from the week before).
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On July 2, the BC CDC posted an updated map showing total cumulative cases by local health area through to the end of June. The map shows there were a total of 4,907 COVID-19 cases in Delta through to June 30, meaning there were only 92 new cases last month, compared to 488 in May, 990 in April and 614 in March.
The map also shows there were 529 new cases in Surrey, compared to 4,012 in May, 7,043 in April and 4,406 in March, and 1,636 new cases across the Fraser Health region, compared to 8,913 in May, 17,086 in April and 10,554 in March. Vancouver Coastal Health, meanwhile, had 563 new cases in June, compared to 2,833 in May, 7,497 in April and 5,726 in March.
As of Thursday (July 27), there were no outbreaks at any Delta long-term care, assisted living or independent living facilities, no public exposure notifications, and no Delta businesses had been temporarily closed due to COVID-19 spread among workers.
Meanwhile, Fraser Health’s website listed no exposures at any Delta schools.
Fraser Health defines exposure as “a single person with lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection who attended school during their infectious period.” Two or more individuals is defined as a cluster, while an outbreak describes a situation involving “multiple individuals with lab-confirmed COVID-19 infections when transmission is likely widespread within the school setting.”
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