The Northern Health region saw a more than 20 per cent decrease in active COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, according to data reported by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
The north only had 16 new cases reported on Tuesday, and the number of active cases in the region dropped to 206, the B.C. CDC reported. There were 263 active cases in the region on Monday.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the region remained steady, at 18 – with six people in critical care. No new COVID-19 deaths were reported in B.C. on Tuesday, leaving the province's death toll from the pandemic at 1,571 – including 140 people from the Northern Health region.
Across B.C. a total of 1.67 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, including 84,434 in the north .
"In our age-based (vaccination) program, anyone 59 and older can now take the next step of booking their appointment. We encourage you to do that right away," provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a joint statement issued on Tuesday. "Our worker program continues with targeted clinics underway. This program will be further expanded as significantly more vaccine starts to arrive in our province next week. Health authorities are also using the available vaccine supply to target 'hot spot' communities that have been hardest hit by COVID-19 with dedicated clinics in many locations."
Dawson Creek, located in the Northern Health region, is one of 16 "hot spot" communities in B.C. Northern Health will be establishing a AstraZeneca vaccine clinic for everyone over 30 years old in the community.
In addition, the AstraZeneca vaccine campaign through B.C. pharmacies is now open to anyone aged 30 years old and older, Henry and Dix said.
"We know demand for the AstraZeneca vaccine is high in many areas," Henry and Dix said. "Unfortunately, available supply through pharmacies in some regions will continue to be limited until additional supplies come in."
A list of the B.C. pharmacies administering COVID-19 vaccines, including 12 located in Prince George, can be found online here www.bcpharmacy.ca/resource-centre/covid-19/vaccination-locations.
To register to be notified when you can book a COVID-19 vaccination appointment, go online to getvaccinated.gov.bc.ca or phone 1-833-838-2323 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily.
Northern Health is currently booking appointments for those aged 59 and older.
"Whether you had your vaccine last month, or are booked for the days ahead, we remind everyone to continue to use all of your layers of protection, to stay small and stay local until we have COVID-19 where we want and need it to be," Henry and Dix said.
