Trail has seen an unexpected wave of COVID-19 cases even as the rest of the West Kootenay experienced low numbers.
The BC Centre for Disease Control’s weekly report shows 79 new cases in Trail during the week of Sept. 19 to 25, up from 17 a week ago.
Elsewhere, cases in the Nelson local health area, which includes Salmo and parts of the Slocan Valley, rose to 21. The Kootenay Lake area, which includes Crawford Bay, also had five new cases one week after recording none.
Trail’s surge also contrasts with cases dropping in most West Kootenay areas. Creston (13), Grand Forks (12), Castlegar (3) and Arrow Lakes (3) each had lower numbers than the previous week.
It’s not clear which age group new cases are spreading among in Trail, which is one of B.C.’s most vaccinated health areas.
Eighty per cent of eligible people are fully vaccinated in Trail, which also leads the Interior Health region in double vaccinations for children ages 12-to-17 at 68 per cent and people over 50 at 88 per cent.
Seventy-three per cent of people ages 18-to-49 are also fully vaccinated.
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