Revelstoke’s COVID case rate continues to rise rapidly, almost doubling in the past week.
According to new data released by the BC Centre for Disease Control on Monday, Aug. 17, Revelstoke’s current case rate is 47 per 100,000 residents per day. Based on population, that calculates into 35 new cases per week in Revelstoke.
The Revelstoke case rate has almost doubled in the past week. During the previous seven-day period, it was 24 per 100,000 residents.
The latest numbers cover the week of Aug. 10-16. Recorded cases for the Revelstoke LHA will be released on Aug. 18, but they will cover a different, earlier recording period, from Aug. 8–14.
Currently, Revelstoke has the fifth-highest COVID case rate in B.C., trailing only Nelson, Central Okanagan, Nechako and Creston, in that order.
Revelstoke had a test-positivity rate of 20% during the period ending Aug. 16., which is very high. In Interior Health, the current test positivity rate is 12.9%, also high. Only Creston, Nelson, Nechako and Keremeos had higher test positivity rates during that period. Two others also tied Revelstoke at 20%: Enderby and Cariboo/Chilcotin.
The worst week for COVID cases in Revelstoke was epi-week 53 in late 2020, when a total of 37 cases were recorded in Revelstoke between Dec. 27, 2020 to Jan. 2, 2021. The current case rate translates to 35 cases per week and continues to rise rapidly, just weeks before schools reopen.
Vaccination effort remains plateaued, with small increases
Revelstoke’s vaccination rates increased modestly, mostly as a result of residents receiving second doses.
Currently in the Revelstoke Local Health Area, 86% of eligible residents aged 12-plus have received a first dose, and 76% have received a second dose.
At the Aug. 13 COVID vaccination clinic in Revelstoke, 312 doses were administered. 66 people received their first dose, while 246 received a second dose. Prior to the Aug. 13 clinic, B.C. announced changes to second-dose wait time, reducing it from 49 to 28 days, leading to an increase in those eligible for their second dose.
Nelson, B.C. is new provincial case rate hotspot
Nelson, B.C. has overtaken the Central Okanagan as the B.C. COVID hotspot by percentage of population. The Nelson Local Health Area jumped from 44 daily cases per 100,000 residents to 75 cases. That calculates to 150 cases per week for the Nelson LHA. During the most recent epi-week, Nelson recorded 74. (The start and end dates for epi-week and case-rate weekly recording periods do not align, so direct comparisons are difficult due to data not being provided.)
At the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital, doctors warn that four of six ICU beds are occupied by COVID patients, and with the lag between infection and later hospitalizations, a physician who works at the hospital is predicting a “disaster.”
In an interview with the Nelson Star, Dr. Mike Vance warned the health system could be overwhelmed: “If people can’t get vaccinated and start wearing masks and start socially distancing, locally it’s just going to be way too much for us. It’s going to overwhelm our hospital system pretty quick.”
If one must look for good news in the numbers, the rate of increase has slowed in Central Okanagan, which is under special local COVID restrictions. The daily case rate per 100,000 residents increased only slightly, from 58 to 59 in the past week, halting the rapid rise in that large local health area.
Check back to revelstokemountaineer.com on the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 18, when confirmed new cases during epi-week 32, from Aug. 8-14, will be released.
What did you think of this story?
Your feedback after we publish a story helps ensure we're always improving our reporting to better serve you
