Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows hit record 808 COVID-19 cases in one week

There were a record 808 cases of COVID-19 in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows during the week of Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.

That’s more than three times the pre-Omicron weekly high mark. With the more transmissible Omicron Variant now driving the COVID-19 bus, case counts have reached speeds of transmission never before seen in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

The week of Dec. 19-25 saw case counts jump to 325 in the cities, which was up from 99 the week prior. The pre-Omicron high was 231 cases, which was set in March 28-April 3 last year.

It’s the same story in all surrounding cities, according to the latest numbers from the BC Centre for Disease Control.

Surrey jumped from 1,155 cases to 2,619; Tri-Cities from 796 to 2,055; Abbotsford from 241 to 604; and Langley from 519 to 936.

According to the CDC, there have now been 6,074 reported cases in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows through the past two years. And a whopping 1,133 of those have been in the last two weeks of 2021.

Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday that the Omicron variant is now responsible for 80 per cent of infections in the province.

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Vaccine progress as of Jan. 4 shows:

• 39 per cent of those aged 5-11 have received their first dose in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. The regional range is Hope 18 per cent, and New Westminster 48 per cent.

• 87 per cent of those aged 12 and over have received two doses.

• 70 per cent of those aged 70-plus have received their third dose, and 92 per cent their second dose.

• 39 per cent of those aged 50 plus have received their third dose, and 90 per cent their second.

• 85 per cent of those aged 12-17 have received their second dose.