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North Shore sees uptick in COVID cases

The number of new COVID-19 cases in North Vancouver went up for the first time in 6 weeks, despite vaccination rates among those 12 and older of over 70 per cent
Jane Seyd
Jane Seyd

The number of COVID cases on the North Shore bounced up again this week for the first time in six weeks, signaling a need for caution despite increasing vaccination rates.

There were 83 cases on the North Shore for the week ending May 29, up from the 50 cases the previous week. The number of new cases is now the same as it was two weeks ago.

That’s still much lower than the number of new infections being reported a month ago.

Of the new cases reported this week, 73 are in North Vancouver and 10 are in West Vancouver.

The uptick in North Shore case numbers for the week ending May 29 comes at a time when case counts are dropping throughout most of the Lower Mainland, including Surrey, Abbotsford, Burnaby and the Tri-Cities.

The BC Centre for Disease Control now provides more detailed information about where cases have been occurring, as well as information on vaccination rates.

On the North Shore, that data (which tracked cases from May 25 to 31) showed daily rates of infection have crept up in the past week, with the eastern part of the District of North Vancouver showing the biggest jump, going from 2 to 12 daily cases per 100,000 people. The rate in the parts of the central area of North Vancouver also crept up from 2 to 7 daily cases per 100,000.

Among those tested for COVID-19, those who live in the eastern part of the City of North Vancouver had the highest positivity rate, at 10 per cent. The rate in much of the District of North Vancouver was just below that at 9 per cent. It was lowest on Bowen Island and in Lions Bay where the positivity rate was 3 per cent.

 

LM positivity rates May29A map showing positivity rates for COVID tests for the week ending May 29. By BC CDC

 

Bowen Island also had the highest vaccination rate among North Shore communities with over 75 per cent of those aged 12 and over having received one dose of vaccine. Vaccination rates in most parts of the North Shore are between 70 and 72 per cent for those 12 and older and between 72 and 79 per cent for adults 18 and over. Among older adults, between 81 and 88 per cent of people over 50 on the North Shore have been vaccinated. The upper part of West Vancouver, including the British Properties and Caulfeild, has the lowest vaccination rate on the North Shore.

Overall case counts in the province continue to drop with 198 new cases reported on Wednesday, 33 of those in Vancouver Coastal Health. Numbers of patients in hospital with COVID-19 are also continuing to fall.