From the beginning of the pandemic to the end of February, the Agassiz-Harrison Local Health Area saw 160 cases of COVID-19 — infecting approximately one in every 65 people in the community.
The local health area, which covers Agassiz and Harrison, as well as communities between Harrison Mills and the Shxw’ow’hamel First Nation and above Harrison Lake, saw 95 cases of COVID-19 in 2020. The first two months of 2021 have seen nearly two-thirds that number again.
RELATED: Agassiz, Harrison see 95 COVID-19 cases since start of pandemic
This past week, from Feb. 28 to March 6, Agassiz and Harrison saw 10 new cases of COVID-19.
This is down from 11 the week before, but still significantly higher than the three new cases from early and mid-February.
Other community in the eastern Fraser Valley have actually seen decreases in the number of new cases this week. Nearby Hope is back down to no new cases this past week, after seeing seven the week before, and Mission has gone down to 28 new cases from 52.
Both Chilliwack and Abbotsford have been fluctuating in their case numbers for the last several weeks. Chilliwack is back up to 110 after going down to just over 90, and Abbotsford is down to 183, after seeing 192 cases the week before.
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The increase in new cases across the eastern Fraser Valley has made that region one of the highest in the province for new COVID-19 cases. Fraser East saw the third highest rate of transmission in B.C. between Feb. 26 and March 4, coming in only behind the Northwest health service delivery area, which is seeing an outbreak of cases in communities like Prince Rupert.
RELATED: Fraser East sees third highest rate of COVID-19 cases in B.C.
Within Fraser East itself, the communities are all seeing similar rates of transmission. Agassiz-Harrison is actually seeing higher rates of transmission than Mission, with 103 new cases per 100,000 people weekly. Mission is only seeing 65 new cases per 100,000 people each week.
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Agassiz and Harrison continue to be in the middle of the eastern Fraser Valley communities for transmission rates, as they were for the total new cases over the pandemic.
RELATED: One in 50 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Fraser East
Chilliwack has seen one in every 50 people infected with the virus, while Abbotsford has seen one in 30. Mission has seen around one in 60 people in the community get COVID-19.
Hope, the smallest community in the area and the one with historically the lowest transmission, has seen one in 102 people get the virus.
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