COVID-19 test positivity rates remain sky-high around the Lower Mainland – and New Westminster is no exception.
New West saw a test positivity rate of 36% between Jan. 11 and 17, according to the latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control. That's consistent with the past couple of weeks (37% and 36%) and coincides with the Omicron surge around B.C.
Local health areas around the Lower Mainland have similarly high rates, with many areas surpassing 40% test positivity – and even past 50% in a couple of neighbourhoods (Vancouver Sunset and Richmond's Gilmore/Shellmont/East/Hamilton sit at 53% apiece).
Prior to the Omicron wave, New Westminster's test positivity had been sitting in the single-digit range.
Now, B.C.'s pandemic picture has changed dramatically, with case counts remaining at previously unseen highs. In New Westminster, the official case count between Jan. 11 and 17 was 206, for a daily new case rate of 34 per 100,000 population. That's down from the previous period, when New Westminster saw 303 new cases, with a daily rate of 52 per 100K.
Raw numbers, however, may mean relatively little as an indicator of how widespread the virus has become.
Over the past couple of weeks, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has downplayed the importance of the number of new cases as an indicator of the state of the pandemic – in large part because the province's system of getting tested has been overwhelmed. Henry has advised vaccinated people with mild illnesses to simply isolate and not try to get tested.
Who should get tested with COVID-19 symptoms in New Westminster?
As of Jan. 19, Fraser Health provides the following direction about who should seek testing for COVID-19 symptoms:
Testing is recommended for:
Individuals who meet one of the following criteria:
- Hospitalized individuals of any age where a positive result would impact treatment or care
- Individuals who may be at greater risk of developing severe disease and who are currently eligible for treatment (Note: These categories will be changed according to treatment priorities and as new treatments become available):
- Individuals who are moderately to severely immunocompromised
- Individuals 18 years of age and older who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated (i.e., have not received at least two doses of a two-dose series or more than 14 days after receiving a single dose of a one-dose series)
- Individuals who live or work in high-risk settings
- For more information on eligibility criteria, please visit the BCCDC's webpage.
AND
who have symptoms compatible with COVID-19:
- Fever or chills, cough (either new, or worsening/exacerbation of chronic cough), loss or change of sense or smell or taste, shortness of breath, sore throat, loss of appetite, extreme fatigue or tiredness, runny nose, sneezing, headache, body or muscle aches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
Testing is not recommended for other adults and children who develop mild symptoms. They are advised to stay home and self-isolate until they feel well enough to resume their regular activities.
For full information about testing in Fraser Health, check out the testing information page on its website.
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, [email protected].
