Vernon and Enderby emerge as COVID-19 hot spots

Aug 31, 2021 | 5:20 PM Pete McIntyre

Enderby and Vernon are the among the latest hot spots for new COVID-19 cases in British Columbia.

The communities both had an average daily rate of over 40 new cases per 100,000 population last week, which was higher than the Central Okanagan. Kelowna and its surrounding area has started to see case numbers come down after being a provincial hot spot earlier this summer.

Golden, Grand Forks, Creston, Nelson, Enderby and Vernon make up the top six COVID hot spots in Interior Health from Aug. 20-26.

(Image credit: Province of B.C.)

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said people between 19 and 39 are driving the rise in new cases.

“What we’re seeing is this has become a pandemic that is spreading rapidly amongst pockets of people that are unvaccinated. For people who are fully vaccinated, that level has been low and steady and hospitalizations have been low.”

Henry said about 15 per cent of cases and 13 per cent of the hospitalizations over the last month involve fully vaccinated individuals.

As of today, 84.3 per cent of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 76.5 per cent have gotten two doses.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said they are starting to see more residents book vaccine appointments with last week’s announcement of the BC Vaccine Card set to begin Sept 13.

Click here for the Aug. 31, 2021, modelling presentation.