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November already with more COVID-19 cases on Vancouver Island than all of October

Latest update from B.C. Centre for Disease Control breaks down the numbers for local Island regions
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Cumulative COVID-19 cases by local health region as of Oct. 31, 2020. (BC Centre for Disease Control)

The COVID-19 curve on Vancouver Island has been anything but flat this fall.

After reporting 52 cases in May, June, July, and August combined, the Vancouver Island Health region had 56 new cases in October.

In less than two weeks, November has already passed that total.

Between Oct. 31 and Nov. 12, the number of confirmed cases on the Island has increased by 59: 12 in North Vancouver Island, 23 in Central Vancouver Island and 24 in South Vancouver Island.

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B.C. Centre for Disease Control released updated COVID-19 data for local health regions yesterday, giving a more accurate geographic picture of where the virus has been active in B.C.

As of Nov. 12, the Island Health region has had 324 total cases. Six people have died, 267 have recovered. No one diagnosed with COVID-19 on the Island is currently in hospital.

The 20-29 age group has been the most affected, with 72 cases, followed by the 30-39 group, with 62.

Greater Nanaimo had the highest increase in cases from September to October at 12 new cases, followed by Greater Victoria with 11 new cases, which also has the highest cumulative total on the Island.

Overall, Vancouver Island North has the highest per-capita rate of positive cases on the Island, however almost all of them came from one outbreak on Cormorant Island in Alert Bay, which was addressed with a lockdown and aggressive contact tracing, and has since been dropped to zero active (confirmed) cases.

Vancouver Island West, which covers Zeballos, Tahsis and Gold River, has the second highest per-capita infection rate, despite having only one case.

The Cowichan Valley West is the only local health region with no confirmed cases. It is one of seven in the province.

The numbers below are cumulative totals of confirmed COVID-19 cases from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31. Local health region data is only released monthly. The next tier up, health service delivery areas, is updated weekly.

South Vancouver Island: 102 cases at Oct. 31

  • Greater Victoria which went up by 11 cases in October to a total of 63.
  • The Western Communities region, including Sooke, Port Renfrew and Langford, increased by six to reach 21 total cases.
  • The Saanich Peninsula has 15 cases, an increase of two from September to October.
  • Southern Gulf Islands increased by one case for a total of three.

Central Vancouver Island: 80 cases at Oct. 31

  • Alberni/Clayoquot increased by seven in October to a total of 20.
  • The Oceanside region, including the Parksville area and Lasqueti Island has eight cases; showing no change from September.
  • Greater Nanaimo has 36 cases, an increase of 12.
  • Cowichan Valley South has 14 cases, an increase of two since September.
  • Cowichan Valley West has no recorded cases.
  • Cowichan Valley North had two cases by the end of October, an increase of one since September.

North Vancouver Island: 83 cases at Oct. 31

  • Vancouver Island North has 31 cases since January, an increase of zero since September.
  • Vancouver Island West is holding steady at one case.
  • The Greater Campbell River area increased by six cases in October for a cumulative total of 18.
  • The Comox Valley increased by eight for a total of 33.

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