The number of new COVID-19 cases in New Westminster has more than doubled in the past two weeks.
Between April 24 and 30, the city saw 46 new cases of COVID-19 in the official public count. That's a 27.8% increase over the 36 new cases recorded the week before, when numbers hit a nine-week high — and it's more than double the number seen just two weeks ago, when the local case count sat at 22.
Officially recorded case counts, of course, are not reflective of the actual number of COVID-19 cases in the city, since the vast majority of people have not been eligible for testing since the beginning of 2022, when case counts shot up dramatically in the face of the original Omicron wave. But New Westminster's trend line had generally been on a downward trajectory until two weeks ago — meaning that, among the small group of people actually eligible for official PCR testing, cases are now rising steeply once again.
B.C. is still feeling the effects of the sixth wave of the COVID pandemic, driven by the Omicron BA.2 variant. As of the latest B.C. Centre for Disease Control data, 100% of the positive COVID cases being sequenced in British Columbia are Omicron, with the BA.2 sub-variant and its sub-lineages BA.2.12 and BA.2.3 making up the vast majority of those cases.
Provincewide, the numbers of COVID-related hospitalizations and critical care admissions are down this week.
There are 550 COVID-19 patients in B.C. hospitals today, with 39 of those in ICUs, according to new British Columbia Centre for Disease Control data. That's down from 570 COVID-19 patients in B.C. hospitals one week ago, when 47 of those were in ICUs, the BCCDC said on April 28.
Local breakdowns aren't available for hospital data, so it's unknown how many of New Westminster's 46 new cases, if any, involve hospitalizations or critical care admissions.
As of the latest BCCDC COVID data, test positivity in New Westminster stood at 26% — holding steady over the previous week, but putting New Westminster at a higher rate than many of its neighbours.
Burnaby's test positivity rates are lower in three of that city's four quadrants: 14% in the northeast, 17% in the southeast and 17% in the southwest. Only the northwest, with a positivity rate of 27%, is higher than New Westminster.
Rates in the Tri-Cities range from 9% in Southeast Coquitlam to 31% in Southwest Coquitlam, with Port Coquitlam at 18% and Port Moody/Anmore/Belcarra at 24%.
South of the river, Surrey is showing better positivity rates than New West, with Whalley at 17%, Guildford at 19% and North Surrey at 20%.
Who can get a COVID-19 PCR test in B.C.?
Testing for COVID-19 is only available to those who meet the eligibility criteria.
According to the Fraser Health website (as of a May 5 update), testing is recommended for people who have symptoms associated with COVID-19 infection and who fall into one of the following categories:
- People for whom testing is clinically indicated (people who are pregnant, hospitalized or moderately to severely immunocompromised).
- People with conditions that put them at high risk.
- People 70 years of age or older who are fully vaccinated, with three or more chronic conditions that increase the risk of severe illness or hospitalization.
- People 50 years of age and older who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated and who have three or more chronic conditions that increase the risk of severe illness or hospitalization; or people 50 to 69 years of age who have not yet received their booster dose and have three or more chronic conditions that increase the risk of severe illness or hospitalization; or people age 70 years and older who have not yet received their booster dose and have one or more chronic conditions that increase the risk of severe illness or hospitalization.
- Individuals who self-identify as Indigenous.
- Individuals who live or work in high-risk settings.
Where can I get a COVID-19 rapid test in B.C.?
If you aren't eligible for public testing but you want to know if you have COVID-19, rapid antigen tests are available for free through participating community pharmacies for all adults aged 18+.
To find a New Westminster pickup point near you, check out this list by neighbourhood.
Students in kindergarten-to-Grade 12 schools around B.C. have also been given one five-test kit apiece through their schools.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is no longer collecting reports of positive cases from at-home tests, so rapid test results are not reflected in official case counts or positivity numbers.
– with files from Glen Korstrom
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, [email protected].
