Vernon and Kelowna areas see fewer COVID cases, numbers up in others

COVID-19 cases fell for a fourth straight week in the Central Okanagan, while some communities in the North Okanagan saw increases.

Figures from the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCDC) for Sept. 5–11 show 360 new infections in the Central Okanagan which covers the area from Lake Country south to Peachland. That is a decrease of 24.6 per cent from the previous week’s total of 478 cases in the area that hit a high of 922 weekly cases in mid-August, resulting in local restrictions being implemented.

Vernon had 165 cases, which also includes Coldstream and RDNO Areas B and C. That was a decrease from 169 the week before.

Armstrong-Spallumcheen, which has the seventh lowest vaccination rate in Interior Health, saw a bit of a spike, from 18 to 31 cases, and Salmon Arm jumped to 104 new infections, an increase of 36.8 per cent.

Data from the BCDC shows Enderby has the lowest number of residents who are fully vaccinated in Interior Health at 59 per cent of the population, while Armstrong-Spallumcheen is at 65 per cent.

Enderby had 26 new cases last week, up by five.

Salmon Arm has 68 per cent of its residents with two doses, Vernon is at 71 per cent and the Central Okanagan is at 74 per cent.

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New cases numbers for week of Sept. 4 to 11, 2021

Vernon — 165 (down by four)

Enderby — 26 (up by five)

Armstrong-Spallumcheen — 31 (up by 13)

Salmon Arm — 104 (up by 28)

Central Okanagan — 360 (down by 118)

Kamloops — 270 (up by 21)

Penticton — 47 (down by 22)

South Okanagan — 23 (down by 11)

Kettle Valley — 12 (down by 13)

Grand Forks — 32 (down by 13)

Nelson — 41 (down by three)

Golden — 17 (down by 11)

Revelstoke — 12 (up by seven)

Arrow Lakes — 1 (down by three)

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