The number of COVID-19 cases detected in Richmondites continues to climb, with 550 cases reported by the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) between Dec. 28 and Jan. 3.
This is up from 431 in the previously reported one-week period – Dec. 19-25 – and just 120 cases in mid-December.
The BCCDC breaks the numbers into neighbourhoods by cases but also provides cases per 100,000 residents.
While City Centre had the highest number of cases with 142 detected over one week, the rate of infection was only 34 per 100,000 residents.
In the meantime, the Gilmore/Shellmont/East/Hamilton area had 84 cases, but the case rate was 52 per 100,000 residents.
Cases are rising fast as the Omicron variant transmits much more easily than previous variants of the COVID-19 virus.
The province reported Wednesday 3,798 new cases were detected across B.C. over a 24-hour period.
Active cases in the province – close to 30,000 – are at a record high as well.
Numbers, however, might be under-reported as lineups at testing sites were hours long, and the Richmond testing site was fully closed over the holidays because of the poor weather.
Furthermore, because the testing system was over-loaded, the provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, recommended that people who were vaccinated and experiencing mild symptoms stay home and self-monitor.
The Richmond testing site - located at the JetSet parking lot just near the entrance to the Vancouver International Airport - is now open.
COVID-19 cases by neighbourhood (per 100,000 resident in brackets)
City Centre: 142 (34)
East-West Cambie/Bridgeport: 86 (45)
Gilmore/Shellmont/East/Hamilton: 84 (52)
Thompson/Seafair: 75 (30)
Broadmoor: 65 (36)
Steveston: 63 (33)
Blundell: 35 (26)
- With files from Glen Korstrom/BIV
