The number of new COVID-19 cases in the West Kootenay declined for the second week in a row, according to the latest figures from the BC Centre for Disease Control.
The agency says there were 413 new cases from Jan. 23 to 29, down from 466 the previous week. The actual figures are believed to be a lot higher because testing capacity has reached its limit, but the figures do give some indication of which direction things are heading.
Nelson still had the most cases with 144, but that declined from 204. Trail was the only area that saw a significant increase: it stood at 124, up from 103.
Castlegar was at 61, down from 70; Creston 53, down from 59; Grand Forks 17, up from 15, Kettle Valley nine, up from four; Kootenay Lake three, up from two, and Arrow Lakes two, down from nine.
Since the pandemic began in early 2020, Nelson has had 1,778 cases; Trail 1,270; Castlegar 671; Creston 641, Grand Forks 444; Kettle Valley 223; Arrow Lakes 168; and Kootenay Lake 74 for a total of 5,269.