Large households and community spread are major factors contributing to case counts in the mid-Island, the chief medical officer says.
Vancouver Island Health Authority Chief Medical Officer Dr. Richard Stanwick says multi-generational families living in the same home are often found in the Cowichan Valley and in First Nations like Cowichan Tribes.
“When your family bubble is large, there’s a greater likelihood of having introduction of spread in that setting,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday.
“We have to recognize there are cultural practices and styles of living that might be predisposed to greater likelihood of viral transmission.”
The chief medical officer also says that cases arise out of community spread centred on private gatherings.
This can take the form of family relatives, individuals coming together as friends, and was anticipated by the health authority following the holiday season.
Socioeconomic factors also come into play, with under-housing leading to large families or other groups living under a single roof.
However, Dr. Stanwick says that the virus is spreading in other parts of Vancouver Island as well.
“We are seeing significant uptake in Nanaimo, and I can tell you as of today South Island is almost equalling the number of cases in Central Island,” he said.
“We may in fact be having a cluster of cases in South Island announced within the next day or so.”
Vaccination supply continues to be an ongoing concern for the Health Authority despite what Stanwick calls an “enviable” situation of case counts compared to other geographic areas.
24,065 vaccinations have been administered in the Vancouver Island Health Authority, and the doctor says all residents of long-term care and assisted living facilities in the region who requested a vaccine have received one.
Health officials are still determining the best path forward for ensuring people who received their first dose are properly immunized with their second dose, while also trying to reach the maximum number of vulnerable populations.
“The evidence suggests that we may see as high as a 90 per cent development of immunity in the population that are immunized with that first dose,” Dr. Stanwick said.
“There’s going to be a variety of variables that are going to enter into it. How are we going to protect the greatest number of people possible?”
