New weekly cases in Central Okanagan dropped to 186 last week

Photo: BC CDC

New COVID-19 cases by local health area, identified between Oct. 3 and 9.

The number of new COVID-19 cases identified in the Central Okanagan last week continued to drop relative to the week prior, to the lowest weekly number since mid-July.

New geographical data released by the BC Centre for Disease Control shows 186 Central Okanagan residents tested positive for the virus between Oct. 3 and 9, down from 223 the week before.

The region's weekly cases hit an all-time high in mid-August, when 922 new cases were found in a single week.

To the south, new weekly cases rose slightly in the Penticton region, to 63, while the Southern Okanagan local health area, which comprises Oliver and Osoyoos, saw 22 new cases.

In the North Okanagan, cases remained stable in the the Vernon region, with 63 new cases, while the Salmon Arm local health area saw new cases rise to 86 during last week.

The Kamloops local health area saw new weekly cases drop by 42 per cent, to 131.

New weekly case rates remain high across much of the province's north. While the Surrey and Prince George local health areas continue to post the highest weekly case counts in the province, at 329 and 284 respectively, Prince George has less than a quarter of the Surrey region's population.

Interior local health area weekly cases:

• Central Okanagan: high of 922, Aug. 8-14; most recently 186
• Vernon: high of 263, Aug. 22-28; most recently 63
• Armstrong/Spallumcheen: high of 31, Sept. 5-11; most recently 10
• Enderby: high of 30, Sept. 19-25; most recently 14
• Salmon Arm: high of 104, Sept. 5-11; most recently 86
• Kamloops: high of 270, Sept. 5-11; most recently 131
• Penticton: high of 69, Sept. 19-25; most recently 63
• Keremeos: high of 15, Aug. 15-21; most recently 7
• Southern Okanagan: high of 54, Dec. 6-12; most recently 22
• Summerland: high of 21, Sept. 5-11; most recently 1
• Revelstoke: high of 37, Dec. 27-Jan. 2; most recently 6
• Golden: high of 38, Aug. 22-28; most recently 4
• Arrow Lakes: high of 14, Sept. 26-Oct. 2; most recently 8
• Kootenay Lake: high of 5, Aug. 22-28; most recently 0
• Windermere: high of 34, April 4-10; most recently 1
• Kimberley: high of 18, Aug. 22-28; most recently 7
• Cranbrook: high of 90, Sept. 26 – Oct. 2; most recently 77
• Fernie: high of 44, Jan. 17-23; most recently 7
• Creston: high of 56, Aug. 15-21; most recently 30
• Nelson: high of 153, Aug. 15-21; most recently 7
• Castlegar: high of 34, Aug. 8-14; most recently 21
• Trail: high of 79, Sept. 19-25; most recently 36
• Grand Forks: high of 45, Aug. 29-Sept. 4; most recently 5
• Kettle Valley: high of 25, Aug. 29-Sept. 4; most recently 2
• Princeton: high of 6, Sept. 5-11; most recently 0
• Merritt: high of 43, Sept. 26-Oct. 2; most recently 24
• South Cariboo: high of 23, Sept. 5-11; most recently 11
• Lillooet: high of 10, Sept. 26-Oct. 2; most recently 3
• Cariboo/Chilcotin: high of 140, Jan. 10-16; most recently 67
• 100 Mile: previous high of 42, Sept. 26-Oct. 2; most recently 48
• North Thompson: high of 5, Sept. 19-25; most recently 1