North Shore records 116 new COVID cases

There were 116 new cases of COVID-19 on the North Shore in the last week – up slightly from the 107 new cases the previous week.

Between Sept. 5 and 11, there were 92 cases in North Vancouver and 24 in West Vancouver, according to information released by B.C.’s Centre for Disease Control.

The number of cases remains over 100 for the third straight week since the fourth wave of the pandemic began.

Data shows there has recently been a higher rate of cases in the western part of the City of North Vancouver, compared to other areas of the North Shore.

Rates of vaccination on the North Shore are still inching up, very slowly, with between 87 and 92 per cent of people over 12 having received one dose and between 81 and 86 per cent of those fully vaccinated.

Between 76 and 81 per cent of teens between 12 and 17 are fully vaccinated on the North Shore while between 76 and 84 per cent of adults between 18 and 49 have received both shots. Rates of vaccination remain highest in adults over 50.

Provincially, 661 new cases of COVID-19 were reported Wednesday.

Hot spots continue to be in the Interior and Northern health regions, although cases have also recently been on the rise in areas of Fraser Health and in pockets of Vancouver Island like the Cowichan Valley. Those aged 19 to 39 make up the biggest number of cases.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, the province’s medical health officer, has called the fourth wave a pandemic of the unvaccinated.

According to the province, people who were not fully vaccinated recently made up over 76.5 per cent of new cases and over 87 per cent of people in hospital with COVID-19.

As of Wednesday, there were 288 people in hospital with COVID-19 and 137 in intensive care.