There were 249 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among North Vancouver and West Vancouver residents up until the start of August, according the BC Centre for Disease Control.
For the first time since the pandemic began, the BCCDC released stats this week showing infections by municipality.
Until now, the centre has only released stats for the North Shore-Coast Garibaldi region, which includes North Van and West Van but also encompasses Bowen Island, the Sunshine Coast, Powell River, Howe Sound, Bella Coola Valley and the Central Coast.
Of the 249 North Shore cases, 44 are recorded as West Vancouver residents and 205 as North Vancouver. (The BCCDC does not distinguish the City of North Vancouver from the District of North Vancouver.)
At 205, North Vancouver ranks among the highest in the province in terms of cases per 100,000 people. West Vancouver’s infections level is not far behind.
The centre for disease control does not specify where people contracted the case but we know the numbers can be cross-referenced with confirmed cases reported by the provincial health officer following outbreaks at seniors’ care homes and hospitals. Those make up about one-third of the North Shore’s cases.
The Lynn Valley Care Centre had 52 elderly residents test positive, 20 of whom died. There were also 26 confirmed cases among staff, although their infections would be included in the tally for their home municipality, not necessarily on the North Shore.
Berkley Care Centre in Seymour had 12 residents test positive (plus 13 staff).
Amica’s Edgemont retirement home had nine residents and 10 staff who tested positive.
Hollyburn House in West Vancouver had one resident test positive.
Evergreen House in North Van and Inglewood Care Centre in West Van both had one staff member with a confirmed case of COVID but no residents.
And, although we don’t know their place of residence, there were 16 patients infected during an outbreak at Lions Gate Hospital, nine of whom died.
Vancouver Coastal Health now has two testing centres in North Vancouver – the urgent and primary care centre in Lower Lonsdale and a walk-in/drive-thru site in the parking lot of Centennial Theatre.
In the two weeks leading up to Aug. 20, there were 50 new active cases of COVID-19 in the North Shore-Coast Garibaldi health region.
