Langley’s COVID-19 infections were going up over the last week while numbers in neighbouring Surrey and Maple Ridge declined.
The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) has released data from the week of Sept. 12 to 18, showing new coronavirus cases in health areas across B.C.
Langley had 185 in that week, up from 162 the week before. That means Langley is seeing a rate of between 15 and 20 new cases per day per 100,000 residents.
While Langley and Abbotsford saw increases in cases, almost every other nearby community saw a decline in COVID numbers.
North Surrey dropped from 350 to 291 cases, South Surrey/White Rock dropped from 68 to 56, Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows were down to 69 from 88, and the Tri Cities area saw a decline to 111 from 165 the week before.
Only Abbotsford and Mission saw increases along with Langley, with Abby’s weekly numbers jumping to 195, up from 158, and Mission reaching 78, up from 61.
Langley, Abbotsford, Mission, and Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside/Strathcona area had the worst rates of transmission in the Lower Mainland.
READ ALSO: Langley COVID cases levelling off after weeks of increases
According to BCCDC data on local neighbourhoods for the period of Sept. 13 to 19, Brookswood/Murrayville had the worst case rates in the last week. Brookswood/Murrayville had a rate of 22 cases per day per 100,000 people, and South Langley Township had 21.
North Langley Township had a case rate of 19, Langley City had 17, Willoughby had 13, Walnut Grove/Fort Langley had a rate of 11, and Aldergrove/Otter’s rate was 15.
The fact that Langley is seeing higher numbers of cases than other areas may be related to vaccination rates. Langley compares favourably to some parts of the Interior and B.C.’s north, but is below average in the Lower Mainland.
As of Sept. 21, Langley had 85 per cent of residents 12 and older vaccinated, the same rate as a week before. Abbotsford had 84 per cent of its eligible residents vaccinated.
Meanwhile, South Surrey/White Rock had 88 per cent of its eligible residents vaccinated, and North Surrey had 91 per cent. Delta has the most vaccinated population in Fraser Health at 92 per cent. Hope remains the least vaccinated community at 75 per cent.