Only 2 regions of B.C. had COVID-19 test positivity rates of 10% or lower last week
With B.C.'s COVID-19 testing system at capacity due to the Omicron variant, the province has prioritized tests for those most in need of them, sending test positivity rates skyrocketing.
According to data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control's COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard, there were only two local health areas in the province where test positivity was 10 per cent or lower between Jan. 4 and 10.
Indeed, only a handful of regions saw less than 20 per cent positivity during the seven-day period.
The lowest rate for the week belonged to Interior Health's Kettle Valley region, where just five per cent of publicly funded tests came back positive. The only other region where fewer than 11 per cent of tests were positive was Kootenay Lake, which saw a 10 per cent positivity rate, according to the BCCDC.
Notably, Kettle Valley and Kootenay Lake are among the least populous local health areas in all of B.C. They are the eighth and ninth smallest of the province's 89 local health areas, according to 2021 provincial population estimates, with roughly 3,600 residents each.
Small populations alone can't account for their relatively lower rates of COVID-19 transmission, however. The three smallest local health areas in the province - Snow Country, Stikine and Telegraph Creek, which are grouped together on the BCCDC map because of their low populations - had a positivity rate of 28 per cent during the week in question.
That total is much more in line with the test positivity rate seen province-wide during the seven days shown on the map. From Jan. 4 to 10, B.C.'s rolling seven-day average for test positivity ranged from 23.1 per cent to 24.1 per cent, according to BCCDC data.
Of course, many regions of the province saw much higher test positivity rates over the week.
Forty-five per cent of tests in the local health area that encompasses the City of Richmond came back positive during the period, as did 45 per cent of tests in the Vancouver - Northeast local health area.
In the area that includes most of the City of Surrey, 43 per cent of tests were positive. Rates also topped 40 per cent in two of the other local five health areas that make up the City of Vancouver, as well as in the Tri-Cities and Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows local health areas.
In the Interior, positivity was 48 per cent in the Revelstoke local health area, 44 per cent in Fernie and 43 per cent in Summerland and Nelson.
Northern Health saw its highest rates in Kitimat, where 51 per cent of tests came back positive, and Smithers (49 per cent).
On Vancouver Island, the Vancouver Island North local health area led the way, with 46 per cent positivity. Greater Victoria and the neighbouring Western Communities local health area also topped 40 per cent, at 44 and 42 per cent, respectively.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.