South Mission has joined nine other areas on Fraser Health’s lists of high transmission neighbourhoods for COVID-19 infections.
The announcement on Thursday, May 6 comes as Fraser Health drops the age requirement to 30 for people in high transmission areas to register for a vaccine immediately. For most areas, people in their late 40s are able to make appointments for vaccinations.
According to Fraser Health, South Mission is 29 km² in size and is the south area of the district municipality of Mission located in southwestern Fraser Valley. It encompasses the majority of Mission including the neighbourhoods of West Heights and Hatzic. Major features include the Hatzic Cemetery, Mission Memorial Hospital, and Matsqui Island. (See map above)
Fraser Health is encouraging everyone to register for the vaccine.
South Mission is one of nine neighbourhoods added, including:
• Surrey Guildford
• Surrey Cloverdale
• Abbotsford Central
• Abbotsford East
• Abbotsford Rural
• Langley Willoughby
• Burnaby Southeast
• Burnaby Southwest
People living in the high transmission areas can register on the Get Vaccinated website.
The purpose of extending wider vaccine eligibility is to stop the spread of the coronavirus and to reduce the number of sick people being hospitalized. The number has hovered in the 400s as British Columbia has gone through its third wave of COVID-19 in the past few months.
Vaccine eligibility is widening rapidly as more vaccines arrive in B.C. this month. Chief medical officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced Thursday that people in their 40s who have registered will be contacted late this week or early the week of May 10 for appointments to get their jabs.