COVID-19 test positivity and case counts have climbed slightly in New Westminster.
As of the latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, test positivity in New Westminster stood at 14% between March 27 and April 2. That's up from 11% in the previous reporting period.
The 14% positivity rate puts New Westminster in the middle of the pack when it comes to Metro Vancouver municipalities. Neighbouring communities have similar or higher rates – including Burnaby, which ranges from 15% in the southeast and southwest quadrants to 22% in the northwest; and the Tri-Cities, which has a range of rates from 11% in Southeast Coquitlam to 20% in North Coquitlam.
South of the river, however, Surrey is doing slightly better than New Westminster, with positivity rates of 8% in North Surrey, 9% in Guildford and 10% in Whalley.
East Richmond (Gilmore/Shellmont/Hamilton) is also faring better than New West, with a 7% positivity rate.
Over the same time span, New Westminster's case counts ticked back up slightly to 19 – up from 14 in the previous period.
That number is not reflective of the actual number of COVID-19 cases in the city, since the vast majority of people have not been eligible for testing since the beginning of 2022, when case counts shot up dramatically in the face of the Omicron wave. The trend line, however, has been generally on a downward trajectory since January – between Jan. 4 and 10, the city saw 303 new cases.
Who's eligible for a COVID-19 PCR test in B.C.?
Testing for COVID-19 is available to those that meet the eligibility criteria.
According to the Fraser Health website (as of April 8), testing is recommended for people who have symptoms associated with COVID-19 infection and who meet one of the following criteria:
- people for whom testing is clinically indicated (people who are pregnant, hospitalized or moderately to severely immunocompromised).
- people with conditions that put them at high risk.
- people 70 years of age or older who are fully vaccinated, with three or more chronic conditions that increase the risk of severe illness or hospitalization.
- people 50 years of age and older who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated and who have three or more chronic conditions that increase the risk of severe illness or hospitalization; or people 50 to 69 years of age who have not yet received their booster dose and have three or more chronic conditions that increase the risk of severe illness or hospitalization; or people age 70 years and older who have not yet received their booster dose and have one or more chronic conditions that increase the risk of severe illness or hospitalization.
- individuals who self-identify as Indigenous.
- individuals who live or work in high-risk settings.
Where can I get a COVID-19 rapid test in B.C.?
If you aren't eligible for public testing but you want to know if you have COVID-19, rapid antigen tests are available for free through participating community pharmacies for all adults aged 18+.
To find a New Westminster pickup point near you, check out this list by neighbourhood.
Students in kindergarten-to-Grade 12 schools around B.C. have also been given one five-test kit apiece through their schools.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is no longer collecting reports of positive cases from at-home tests.
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, [email protected].
