Though numbers are still much higher than average, Agassiz-Harrison saw a dip back downward in COVID-19 cases, according to the latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC).
According to the BCCDC, 16 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported locally from Sept. 19 to 25. While numbers are still in the double digits, that week marked the first time in more than a month Agassiz-Harrison has seen a downward trend in cases and the end of the worst local COVID-19 spike on record. It was a sharp, 18-case drop from the worst recorded week for local cases at 34 from Sept. 12 to 18.
82 per cent of eligible Agassiz-Harrison residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine; the fully vaccinated population is ticking upward, sitting at 74 per cent of eligible residents as of Sept. 27. The 12-17 age group is 54 per cent fully vaccinated (66 per cent with at least one dose). 75 per cent of those 18 and older in Agassiz-Harrison are fully vaccinated (83 per cent with at least one dose). The 18-49 group is 61 per cent fully vaccinated with 74 per cent receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The 50-plus age group for the local health area has achieved 85 per cent full vaccinated (89 per cent with at least one dose of the vaccine).
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There have been 289 cases of COVID-19 recorded in Agassiz-Harrison in 2021 to date. This averages out to just over seven cases per week.
According to Fraser Health spokesperson Curtis Harding, the eastern areas of Fraser Health have seen some of the lowest immunization rates in the health region, which is translating into the highest case rates in those communities.
“The Fraser East region is one of the few areas in the province where COVID-19 cases continue to rise,” Harding said. “The COVID-19 outbreaks that have been declared at one school and four long-term care facilities in Fraser East demonstrate that these high case rates are having an impact on those communities. COVID-19 second dose vaccination rates for Fraser East are low compared to other areas within Fraser Health.”
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During this past week, 68 per cent of new COVID-19 cases are among the unvaccinated population (24 per cent among the fully vaccinated, 8 per cent among the partially vaccinated). 81 per cent of individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated (14 per cent fully vaccinated, 4 per cent partially vaccinated).
There have been no recent outbreaks or exposure events within Fraser-Cascade School District 78.
The B.C. CDC does not provide any further data, such as hospitalizations or ICU admissions for localized health care facilities in communities across the province.
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