VANCOUVER -- As British Columbia's COVID-19 numbers continue to surge, routinely breaking local records, a new website has been set up highlighting how the province compares to other jurisdictions.
The interactive charts displayed on the B.C. Centre for Disease Control's Canadian and Global Epidemiology Dashboard show testing rates, test positivity rates, daily cases and deaths by population in every Canadian province and territory, plus dozens of countries around the world.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the data provides "a way to help put what's happening with us here in British Columbia in context."
"It shows cases and testing information together, which gives you … a more accurate picture of the state of the pandemic in each given location," Henry said. "For some places, there may be a very high testing rate and low numbers of cases, which shows us that many people may not be tested."
The charts indicate B.C.'s alarming new case numbers, when measured by cases per million residents, are still significantly lower than the rates in several other provinces, and drastically lower than what's being recorded in some European countries.
Averaging data out over the past week, British Columbia has recorded about 60 cases per million residents, while Alberta, Quebec and Manitoba have seen well over 100 cases per million, according to the charts, which do not provide precise figures.
Manitoba is currently faring the worst, having recently topped 200 cases per million residents. The province, which has a population of about 1.37 million people, announced another 427 cases on Thursday.
In terms of daily deaths, British Columbia is recording fewer fatalities per million residents than Manitoba or Quebec, with a rate comparable to Alberta and Ontario.
B.C.'s seven-day moving average is below 0.5 deaths per million residents, while Quebec's rate is around 2.5 and Manitoba's recently topped three.
Having lower case and death rates than some jurisdictions doesn't mean British Columbia can relax when it comes to safety precautions, however. COVID-19 outbreaks have been reported on a near-daily basis in care homes in the province, where residents are at a much greater risk of severe complications from the disease.
"As we look at the recent numbers, we're all concerned," Henry said. "We did anticipate an increase as we moved indoors into the cooler weather, but it is incredibly important that we manage this increase effectively."
Officials said the B.C. Centre for Disease Control will be updating the new dashboard twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Some of the comparisons on the website have been presented before in health officials' regular modelling updates, and Henry said they will continue to present the data as the pandemic persists.
B.C.'s next modelling presentation is scheduled for next Thursday.
