Provincial health authorities have reported the Fernie local health area saw 20 COVID-positive tests returned between Jan. 10 and Jan. 16.
In new data released by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) on Wednesday evening (Jan. 20), the Fernie area which is served by the Elk Valley Hospital has seen a drastic jump in cases over the previous period, when there were only three new cases reported between Jan. 3 and Jan. 9.
Earlier this week, the Elk Valley Hospital’s top doctor, Dr. Ron Clark said that locally-performed COVID-19 tests were returning at a 20-per cent positivity rate, or 1 - in - 5.
“It’s as bad as anywhere else in the world right now. It clearly shows that this is absolutely widespread in our community and we could potentially have many many positive cases – hundreds even, maybe more. We’re one step away from being on the evening news,” he said.
There were 59 cases recorded in the Fernie local health area for the whole of 2020.
On Wednesday, Interior Health (IH) recorded an additional 91 COVID-19 cases across the provincial region, with three more deaths.
The total number of cases in IH since the pandemic began now sits at 5,465, with 55 deaths.
Provincially, there were 500 new cases reported today, with the total number of cases in all of B.C. now at 62,412. The vast majority have been within the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health regions. IH has the third-most cases.
The number of new cases in IH remains stubbornly high, with IH saying on Wednesday that numbers were not going down in the region the same way they were in other health authorities.
The next update for numbers within the local health area is due on Wednesday Jan. 27.
READ MORE: COVID-19 moving out of southern Interior and into the north: IH
scott.tibballs@thefreepress.ca
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