Willoughby has joined South Langley Township on Fraser Health’s lists of high transmission neighbourhoods for COVID-19 infections.
The announcement on Thursday, May 6 comes as Fraser Health drops the age requirement to 30 for people in high transmission areas to register for a vaccine immediately. For most areas, people in their late 40s are able to make appointments for vaccinations.
Fraser Health is encouraging everyone who can in the areas to register for the vaccine.
Willoughby is one of nine neighbourhoods added, including:
• Surrey Guildford
• Surrey Cloverdale
• Abbotsford Central
• Abbotsford East
• Abbotsford Rural
• Langley Willoughby
• Burnaby Southeast
• Burnaby Southwest
• South Mission
People living in the high transmission areas can register on the Get Vaccinated website.
READ MORE: 27 Langley schools now on Fraser Health exposure list
The purpose of extending wider vaccine eligibility is to stop the spread of the coronavirus and to reduce the number of sick people being hospitalized. The number has hovered in the 400s as British Columbia has gone through its third wave of COVID-19 in the past few months.
South Langley Township is also still on the list of high-transmission neighbourhoods. That designation includes all of Langley south of Fraser Highway that is not part of one of the recognized neighbourhoods such as Brookswood, Murrayville, and Aldergrove.
Vaccine eligibility is widening rapidly as more vaccines arrive in B.C. this month. Chief medical officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced Thursday that people in their 40s who have registered will be contacted late this week or early the week of May 10 for appointments to get their jabs.