The most recent snapshot of data by the BC Centre for Disease Control shows that weekly COVID infection numbers in Langley are on a sharp decline, but rates are still high in neighbouring communities.
The most recent data, compiled from May 9 to 15 and released on May 19, shows that Langley had 115 positive cases in that time, a rate of 5.1 to 10 new cases per 100,000 people per day.
That’s a significant drop from the 161 new cases recorded in the previous week, from May 2 to 8.
On May 6, Willoughby was added to B.C.’s list of high transmission areas, following April’s announcement that South Langley was a high transmission area.
Cases across B.C. have been dropping in the wake of new restrictions put in place in April, which included the end of indoor dining in restaurants and closures of businesses with three or more positive cases among staff where transmission was suspected.
Over the same period of time, the number of daily vaccinations has increased as more Pfizer vaccine has become available. According to the non-profit COVID-19 Tracker Canada project, B.C. is giving out just over 50,000 doses of vaccine per day in its rolling seven-day average as of May 20.
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That’s the equivalent of giving first doses to almost one per cent of the population per day. Just under 50 per cent of the total population of B.C. had had a first dose by May 20, and on May 19, vaccination registration was extended to 12 to 17 year olds for the first time.
However, while numbers are going down across Fraser Health, they are still much higher in this health region and in Langley’s immediate neighbours than across much of B.C.
Parts of B.C.’s north, the central coast, Haida Gwaii and parts of Northern Vancouver Island have seen zero cases in the last week. Other regions in the interior are seeing between one and five new cases per 100,000 residents per day.
Meanwhile North Surrey, Abbotsford, and Mission are all still seeing more than 20 new cases per day per 100,000 residents.
Numbers there are dropping as well. Abbotsford saw 315 cases in the most recent week of data, compared to 408 in the previous week.
North Surrey’s weekly cases dropped to 1,094 cases from May 9 to 15 compared to 1,409 cases the week before.
Delta dropped from a rate of 20-plus cases per 100,000 residents per day to a rate of 10 to 15 cases per day over the same time.
