While the number of reported cases of COVID-19 is going up in the North Okanagan-Shuswap, the rate of increase is slowing or levelling off for most areas.
Fourteen new cases were reported in the Salmon Arm Local Health Area from Dec. 13 to 19, bringing the total cases as of Dec. 19 to approximately 52. The weekly increase of 14 was just slightly higher than the 11-case rise reported the week before.
The Salmon Arm health area includes Sicamous, Malakwa, Sorrento, Blind Bay, Tappen and Falkland.
In the Vernon health area, which includes Coldstream, Lumby and Cherryville, the number of cases reported rose by 28 between Dec. 13 and Dec. 19, bringing the approximate total to 170.
However, the weekly increase of 28 is lower than the jump of 36 the week before.
Read more: New weekly reports show COVID-19 cases rising in North Okanagan-Shuswap
Read more: COVID-19 numbers rise in North Okanagan- Shuswap
For Enderby’s health area, which includes Grindrod, Mara and Kingfisher, just two COVID-19 cases were reported from Dec. 13 to 19, bringing its total cases to 15. The week before, no cases were reported in the Enderby area.
Similarly, the Armstrong-Spallumcheen health area saw a rise of just one case from Dec. 13 to 19, bringing its total reported cases to 19. The week before, it saw a slightly higher increase of four cases.
In Revelstoke, numbers increased by seven from Dec. 13 to 19, bringing the approximate total of reported cases to 64. The bulk of those cases were due to a cluster from travellers coming to the community for recreation. Just one new case was reported during the week previous.
In Salmon Arm, the only cases publicized by Interior Health to date have been a Walmart employee who tested positive for COVID-19 in April 2020 and a student at Salmon Arm Secondary’s Sullivan campus who caught the virus in November. The health authority is also involved with ongoing cases at Lakeside Manor, an independent living complex, and a potential exposure at Ranchero Elementary was recently reported.
Graphs are available from the BCCDC Comparisons App showing how each health authority is doing in terms of positive test rates by month.
Read more: Five cases now confirmed at Salmon Arm independent living complex
Read more: Update – COVID-19 outbreak confirmed at second Vernon long-term care home
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