COVID-19 infections on the Sunshine Coast climbed to 11 between April 25 and May 1, after two weeks of cases in the single digits.
Last week marks the highest count since the seven-day period starting April 4, when cases reached 13.
The bump was mentioned in a community update issued by the Sunshine Coast COVID Physician Task Force May 4, which described the increase as unfortunate but not unexpected.
“With ongoing COVID-19 activity in our community, all of us must remain conscientious and keep doing our part to keep our COVID-19 numbers down,” said the statement.
Provincially, the number of hospitalizations, active infections and new cases are all on the decline as of May 5, when 572 cases were identified over a 24-hour period.
Those declines also apply to regions adjacent to the Sunshine Coast, which have been experiencing a steady drop since the beginning of April.
While Powell River’s case count dropped to two from April 25 to May 1 from a high of 15 from April 4 to 10, the biggest drop occurred in Howe Sound.
That local health area, which includes Pemberton, Squamish and Whistler, saw cases drop to 39 last week after hitting 410 from March 28 to April 3. In early April Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) identified Howe Sound as the local health area with the highest rate of COVID-19 in the province.
VCH linked the reduction in cases to an intensive vaccination program held in Whistler for all residents aged 18 and older. By the end of April, more than 17,000 doses had been administered.
As for vaccines on the Sunshine Coast, the task force said on May 4 that 3,000 vaccines were administered in the past week, bringing the total number of people who have received their first dose to 16,000 or more than half the Sunshine Coast’s population.
Residents who have already received their first dose are advised by VCH to ensure they have registered on the provincial booking system so that they can be notified directly when they are able to book their second dose.
The task force said it’s expecting to operate at least two clinics per week over the next few weeks as the province increases its supply of vaccine, and are asking everyone born in 2003 and earlier to register.
Clinics were held this week on May 5 and 6. The next available clinic posted to VCH’s website is on May 13 at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 109 in Gibsons from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. to 5 p.m.
At a May 4 council meeting, Gibsons Mayor Bill Beamish said VCH is looking at extending clinic hours past 5 p.m. after he asked about it during a meeting with the health authority the week before.
He said the 5 p.m. cut-off “is a barrier to a lot of people, working people and people with children.”
Anyone in the province 18 and older can register for a vaccine at getvaccinated.gov.bc.ca or by calling 1-833-838-2323.
Pregnant people aged 16 and older can also register to book using the same methods and should identify as being pregnant.
– with files from Glen Korstrom
