Image Credit: ADOBE STOCK

While COVID-19 cases have been dropping steadily in B.C. that was not the case in the Central Okanagan last week.

During the week of May 9 to 15, there were 185 new cases in the Central Okanagan, up from 162 the week before.

In the region as a whole, there were 321 new cases, down two from the week before, according to new data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

This map shows the new cases of COVID-19 in Local Health Areas for the week of May 9-15.

Image Credit: Submitted/B.C. Centre for Disease Control

Kamloops cases dropped one to 32, Vernon dropped to 19 from 22 and Penticton dropped one to 14 new cases.

There were slight increases in Local Health Areas in the northwest section of the Thompson region.

Golden, after being a hot spot in the Interior Health region for three weeks, dropped to three new cases last week following a vaccination blitz. The town had peaked at 16 cases a week.

Another map on the site shows, for a slightly different time period, May 4 to 10, a more detailed breakdown of the Central Okanagan but only displays cases per 100,000 residents.

It shows that Lake Country and the Kelowna neighbourhoods of Glenmore, Rutland and Downtown recorded 10 to 20 cases per 100,000 residents while the rest of the region was at five to 10 cases.

Vernon is the only other Local Health Area in the Interior Health region that is broken down into neighbourhoods. It shows the North Okanagan/Lumby area at five to 10 cases per 100,000.

Vernon itself, along with the rest of the Okanagan and Thompson regions had less than five cases per 100,000.

Another map shows that the Kamloops Local Health Area and all of the Okanagan had a vaccination rate of 21 to 40 per cent.

A closer look at the Central Okanagan shows that Lake Country and Rutland continue to lag behind with one to 20 per cent of residents vaccinated. This comes despite the fact that Rutland was declared a high transmission area and special efforts have gone into getting more people there vaccinated.

As of yesterday, May 19, the Interior Health region as a whole had 495 active cases with 19 people in hospital, 13 of whom are in intensive care.

There have been 11,878 residents of the Interior Health region who have contracted COVID, 146 of whom have died.

There have been 385,304 residents who have received at least one dose of vaccines.

Children as young as 12 can now register for a vaccine on the Get Vaccinated website or by calling 1-833-838-2323.

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