As COVID-19 cases surge elsewhere in BC, the prevalence of the virus remains low at UBC.
According to the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), the UBC neighbourhood had a per capita case rate of one new case per 100,000 residents between July 20 and 26. During this time, the testing positivity rate was zero per cent, indicative of a negligible amount of positive tests.
First-dose vaccine coverage has reached 80 per cent among residents aged 12+, though it continues to increase incrementally and lags behind most of the Lower Mainland. Single-dose coverage is at 80 per cent among the 18-49 age group, and has reached 81 per cent for those aged 50+.
The BCCDC has also begun releasing second dose coverage data on its COVID-19 dashboard.
Forty-six per cent of UBC neighbourhood residents aged 12+ have received their second shots, while just 40 per cent of the 18-49 age group is fully vaccinated. Both these numbers are lower than other areas in the region, but this is likely due to the relative youth of UBC’s total population. Many students have only just received the opportunity for their second dose.
Seventy-one per cent of residents aged 50+ have received their second doses, while the provincial rate of second doses is just under 70 per cent.
Provincially, COVID-19 cases have been rapidly increasing over the past two weeks, with the rolling average of daily new cases rising well above 100. This surge has largely been driven by outbreaks in the Interior Health region, which accounted for 61 per cent of new cases on Wednesday, July 28. The Provincial Health Office (PHO) re-imposed a mask mandate and several other health measures on the Central Okanagan region, which includes Kelowna and UBC Okanagan, in hopes of stopping the spread.
According to PHO data, nearly 70 per cent of new cases have been among unvaccinated individuals, while another 25-30 per cent have been in those with only one dose.
Currently, all residents of BC aged 12+ have the opportunity to receive their first dose, and most are eligible to receive their second.