For the first time in months, active cases of COVID 19 have dropped below 200 in Northern Health.
The count for the region stood at 197 according to B.C. Centre for Disease Control numbers released Wednesday.
The region still has a long way to go before reaching the levels seen in October, when the counts were in the low double digits - but the most recent number represents a big improvement from the 353 active cases reported as recently as April 12.
Active cases began to rise dramatically in November and were well above 200 by the end of that month.
The good news Wednesday was tempered by the fact that 20 new cases were reported, although the seven-day rolling average stood at 31.3 as of Tuesday.
Likewise, the number of tests that produced a positive result stood at 11.3 in 100 as of Tuesday, compared to 18 as of April 4, as the rate moved closer to the provincial average of nine.
No new deaths were reported in Northern Health, keeping the toll at 140 since the pandemic broke out. However, five more deaths were reported for the province as a whole, pushing the total on that front to 1,576.
Hospitalizations in Northern Health held steady at 19 with eight in intensive care. However, the number for B.C. ticked up to 515, breaking a previous record set last week.
Among those hospitalized, 171 people are in intensive care.
The number of active infections was down to just over 8,000 as health officials reported 841 new cases on Wednesday.
A joint statement from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix says B.C. has now administered more than 1.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, of which close to 90,000 are second shots.
Vaccine bookings will open to people age 58 and older at midnight, while people age 30 and up who live in COVID-19 hot spots are now eligible to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in B.C.
Henry and Dix also noted that Wednesday was the National Day of Mourning for workers who lost their lives on the job - whether a result of COVID-19, another illness or injury.
"We want everyone to go home from work safely every day, and we all have a part to play - it is about holding steady with our own individual efforts, to keep our loved ones and ourselves safe.
"We know what we need to do, and it is the small, simple steps that make the biggest difference. Washing our hands, staying home when we are feeling unwell, wearing our masks and giving others space - whether at the grocery store, at the park or playground.
"We are on our path, and while there may be obstacles to overcome along the way, by staying with our layers of protection, staying small and local, and following all of the orders in place, we will be able to put the pandemic behind us."
