COVID-19 case rates are increasing across the eastern Fraser Valley, with Agassiz having the highest rate in the Lower Mainland, beating even Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, according to the latest data from BCCDC.
From Sept. 13 to 19, Abbotsford had 18 new daily cases per 100,000, Mission had 21, Hope had 24, Chilliwack had 27, and Agassiz had 38.
Test positivity was also highest in Agassiz, with 21 per cent of public tests coming back positive, almost doubling Chilliwack, the region’s next highest at 11 per cent; Hope had a 10 per cent positive rate, while Abbotsford and Mission were both at nine per cent. Public test positivity across B.C. is at 10 per cent.
BCCDC data showed that unvaccinated persons accounted for 77 per cent of new cases, and 87 per cent of new hospitalizations across B.C. last week.
One data set from July 1 to Sept. 13 showed that communities with higher vaccination rates generally had lower total cases per capita.
As of Sept. 19, Abbotsford had a 75 per cent vaccination rate (both doses, 12-years old and up), Mission was at 69 per cent, Agassiz at 73 per cent, Chilliwack at 69 per cent and Hope at 68 per cent. Across B.C., 78 per cent of the population aged 12 and up is fully vaccinated.
Unvaccinated individuals are 11 times more likely to become infected, 59 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 19 times more likely to die, based on last month’s data.
Case counts are now highest among 19-to-39 year olds, followed by 40-to-59 year olds.
The Delta variant accounts for 99.5 per cent of new cases across B.C.
As of Sept. 14, infection rates are increasing across Fraser Health, Northern Health, Vancouver Island Health, and elevated but decreasing in Interior Health and stabilizing in Vancouver Coastal Health.
New hospitalizations are elevated but stabilizing provincially, yet infected persons being admitted into critical care are increasing. New deaths are low, and hospitalizations among children are very low.
RELATED: Quebec man punches nurse in face for giving wife COVID-19 vaccine
Unvaccinated individuals continue to be at a significantly higher risk of infection, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 compared with fully vaccinated. BCCDC data.
fdf
