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Communities across B.C.'s Interior are seeing rising case numbers of COVID-19 that are directly related to gatherings held over the holiday season.
On Thursday, Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 115 new cases of COVID-19 in the Interior – the highest number of single day new cases in the region since the beginning of the pandemic.
As new cases of COVID-19 are dropping in the Lower Mainland, the number of new cases in the Interior are moving in the wrong direction, surpassing the daily new cases of Vancouver Coastal Health for only the second time.
Dr. Henry said the transmission in the Interior has been widespread.
“We saw that in the summer when there was a lot of focus on people holidaying, but what we're seeing now is more local, where people have come together in small groups, had decided that they could stretch those rules and we're seeing transmission in small clusters that are moving through communities,” she said.
“It is very challenging because it's not related to large events like we were seeing before, it's related to people thinking it's OK if it's just a few of us and unfortunately it's spreading in all communities now.”
There are now 948 active cases in the Interior and 38 people in the region have been hospitalized, 10 of whom are in intensive care.
Active outbreaks remain at nine long-term care homes, where a total of 29 residents have died from the virus.
Dr. Henry said the actions of some Interior residents over the holidays is an example of what not to do.
“In the Interior, we are seeing the implications of what could happen in this province if we had all taken those liberties a few weeks ago,” she said. “It is absolutely reflective of people getting together over the holiday season and that is now putting at risk our long-term care homes, it's putting schools in a more tenuous position.”
She also noted that there is a higher proportion of younger people transmitting the virus in the Interior compared to the rest of the province.
Across B.C., Dr. Henry said they've “very rarely” seen transmission of the virus in restaurants when the proper safety protocols are followed.
