Interior Health has 16 times the number of COVID cases it had just six weeks ago

The number of new COVID-19 cases in the Interior Health region was 16 times higher last week than they were at the end of June.

While the Central Okanagan has more than half of those cases, the numbers are up dramatically in many parts of the region.

For the week of Aug. 8-14, there were 1,620 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the Interior Health region, compared to 101 from June 27 to July 3.

Of the new cases last week, 922 were in the Central Okanagan, 57 per cent of the total.

Interior Health has been reporting about half the new cases detected each day in B.C. in recent weeks. An outbreak was called in the Central Okanagan last month and new safety restrictions were imposed.

READ MORE: Bars and nightclubs hardest hit by new COVID restrictions in the Central Okanagan

While the Kamloops Local Health Area was the next hardest hit with 121 new cases, the much smaller Vernon area was close behind with 109 cases.

The data is based on a map posted on the B.C. Centre for Disease Control website.

Some of the harder hit, smaller areas included Nelson with a whopping 117 cases.

The Cariboo/Chilcotin had 51 cases, Creston had 49 and Salmon Arm had 48.

Closer to home, Penticton had 33 new cases and the South Okanagan 11.

READ MORE: Another day of high COVID case counts in B.C. and Interior Health

To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submitphotos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.