Active COVID-19 cases in Delta spiked again last week, hitting their highest mark since the week ending May 29.
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 81 cases for the week of Aug. 22 to 28, more than double the 38 cases seen the week before.
Six weeks earlier (the week ending July 17), Delta marked the fewest active cases in the city (2) 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 167 the week ending Aug. 28 (for a total of 1,259), the seventh time in eight weeks that case totals have increased after nearly three months of falling COVID numbers. It was also the second week in a row of 1,000+ cases, a mark not hit since the week ending May 29.
Ten of the 13 local health areas (LHAs) in the region saw increases from the previous week, notably in Surrey (300, up 48 from the previous week), Tri-Cities (187, up 37) and Mission (76, up 32).
Only three LHAs saw decreases last week, most notably in Burnaby (115, down 43).
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Data shared on the BC CDC’s COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard Tuesday shows Delta had an overall daily average of nine new cases per 100,000 people for the week of Aug. 24 to 30, up from six the week before.
Broken down by community health service areas (CHSAs), that’s a rate of 10 cases per 100,000 people in North Delta (up from six the week before), seven in Ladner (unchanged) and 10 in Tsawwassen (up from six). 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 represented two per cent of cases in B.C. that week, up from one per cent the week before. Delta is home to two per cent of the province’s population.
The overall test positivity rate in Delta for the week ending Aug. 23 was five per cent, up from three the week before, but the rates varied somewhat between Delta’s three CHSAs.
North Delta had a rate of six per cent (up from three the week prior) while Ladner had a rate of three per cent (unchanged) and Tsawwassen had a rate of four per cent (up from two).
Positivity rates were higher when looking only at public tests — six per cent for Delta as a whole (up from four), eight per cent for North Delta (up from five), three per cent for Ladner (down from four) and six per cent for Tsawwassen (up from four).
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The dashboard also shows breakdowns of vaccine coverage across the CHSAs by age (12+, 12-17, 18+, 18-49 and 50+) and by whether people have received their first or second dose.
As of Aug. 30, Delta continued to lead all other LHAs in Fraser Health with 90 per cent of adults aged 12 and over having received at least their first does of vaccine, up one per cent from the week before. As well, 83 per cent of residents 12 and over have received their second dose as well, up one per cent from the week before.
Broken down by CHSA, that’s 90 per cent first dose coverage in North Delta (up one per cent from the week before), 91 per cent in Ladner (unchanged), and 90 per cent in Tsawwassen (up one per cent). In terms of second dose rates, that’s 82 per cent in North Delta (unchanged), 85 per cent in Ladner (up one per cent) and 85 per cent in Tsawwassen (up one per cent).
Limited to adults 18 and over, first dose rates were 91 per cent for Delta as a whole (up one per cent from the week before), 90 for North Delta (unchanged), 92 for Ladner (up one per cent) and 90 for Tsawwassen (up one per cent). Second dose rates were 84 per cent for Delta as a whole (up one per cent), 82 for North Delta (up one per cent), 86 for Ladner (up one per cent) and 85 for Tsawwassen (up one per cent).
For the past two weeks, the dashboard has included vaccine coverage for kids aged 12-17. First dose rates for that age range as of Aug. 30 were 86 per cent for Delta as a whole (up three per cent), 85 for North Delta (up three per cent), 87 for Ladner (up two per cent) and 86 for Tsawwassen (up two per cent). Second dose rates were 74 per cent for Delta as a whole (up three per cent), 73 for North Delta (up five per cent), 76 for Ladner (up two per cent) and 77 for Tsawwassen (up three per cent).
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Vaccine uptake was still markedly different between those 18-49 and those 50 and over, however.
For adults 50 and over, first dose coverage in Delta was 93 per cent (up one per cent from the week previous). Broken down by CHSA, that’s 92 per cent in North Delta (unchanged), 94 in Ladner (up one per cent) and 93 in Tsawwassen (up one per cent). Second dose rates were 89 per cent for Delta as a whole (up one per cent), 88 for North Delta (up one per cent), 90 for Ladner (unchanged) and 90 for Tsawwassen (up one per cent).
For those aged 18-49, first dose coverage was lower — 89 per cent for Delta overall (up two per cent), 89 for North Delta (up one per cent), 89 for Ladner (up one per cent) and 86 for Tsawwassen (up one per cent). Second dose rates were 78 per cent for Delta as a whole (up one per cent), 78 for North Delta (up two per cent), 81 for Ladner (up two per cent) and 78 for Tsawwassen (up two per cent).
After Delta, the other LHAs in the Fraser Health region with the highest first dose vaccine coverage for adults aged 12 and over are Surrey and New Westminster with 88 per cent (up one per cent from the week before) followed by Burnaby and Tri-Cities (87 per cent, up one per cent), then South Surrey/White Rock (86 per cent, up one per cent).
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On Aug. 5, 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 4933 COVID-19 cases in Delta through to July 31, meaning there were only 26 new cases last month, compared to 92 in June, 488 in May, 990 in April and 614 in March.
The map also shows there were 189 new cases in Surrey, compared to 529 in June, 4,012 in May, 7,043 in April and 4,406 in March; and 771 new cases across the Fraser Health region, compared to 1,636 in June, 8,913 in May, 17,086 in April and 10,554 in March. Vancouver Coastal Health, meanwhile, had 424 new cases in July, compared to 563 in June, 2,833 in May, 7,497 in April and 5,726 in March.
As of Thursday morning (Aug. 26), there were no outbreaks at any Delta long-term care, assisted living or independent living facilities. There were also no public exposure notifications in the city, and no Delta businesses had been temporarily closed due to COVID-19 spread among workers.
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