Vaccination rates still rising for Langley kids, booster shots

Langley’s rate of new COVID-19 infections has dropped again, and is now among the lowest in Fraser Health.

Data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) released on Feb. 2 showed that for the week of Jan. 25 to Jan. 31, Langley’s COVID-19 case rate – the number of cases per 100,000 people per day – was 20, down from 27 the week before.

Only Burnaby, Tri-Cities and Agassiz/Harrison had lower case rates over the course of the week, but the trend downwards was clear for every community in the region except Hope, which rose slightly to a case rate of 29.

In total, Langley saw 255 new cases recorded over the week from Jan. 23 to Jan. 29, a decline from the 323 new positive cases counted the week before.

Langley’s weekly case count hit an all-time peak of 936 positive cases detected in the last week of December last year, as the Omicron wave crested.

Within Langley, the case rate from Jan. 25 to Jan. 31 was 28 within Willoughby, with 72 cases, 23 in North Langley Township for 24 cases, 22 in Langley City for 45 cases, 17 in Aldergrove/Otter for 19 cases, 16 in Brookswood/Murrayville resulting in 30 cases, and 16 in South Langley Township for 12 cases. Walnut Grove/Fort Langley had a case rate of 14, for 33 total cases.

READ ALSO: COVID case decline slows pace in Langley, neighbouring communities

Langley’s neighbours were all seeing similar rates of COVID infection, at case rates of between 15 and 30 per day. The only exception was Richmond, which saw a slightly lower rate of new cases.

Locals continued lining up for vaccinations as well, with the overall rate of people aged 12 and up in Langley with at least one dose edging up to 91 per cent, from 90 per cent, as of Feb. 1.

For children aged five to 11, 47 per cent have now received their first shot.

Meanwhile, 44 per cent of those aged 12 and up have received a third, booster dose of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

Langley remains in the middle of the pack when it comes to vaccination rates, with Surrey having given 97 per cent of residents 12 and up at least one dose, while Hope has the lowest vaccination rate, at 80 per cent.