A one-day record 92 new COVID-19 cases were reported to Northern Health on Wednesday, according to updated figures issued Thursday afternoon by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
The number eclipsed the old record of 89, reached on Jan. 1, and helped push the seven-day rolling average up to 39.9 from 33.3 the day before, although still below a peak of 57.1 reached on Jan. 15.
The number also translated into a jump in active cases, which stood at 316 cases, up by 29 from the day before.
Hospitalizations stood at 28, down by two, and there were 11 patients in intensive care, also down two.
No new deaths were reported in the region while four were reported province-wide, raising the total since the pandemic broke out to 1,321.
Province-wide, 617 new cases were reported, well above the seven-day rolling average of 433 as of Wednesday.
For a second time in recent days, Northern Health listed Prince George Secondary School and Cedars Christian School for possible exposures, this time for Feb. 10-12 in the case of PGSS and Feb. 11-12 for Cedars. PGSS has also been listed for a possible exposure during Feb. 8-9 and Cedars for Feb. 8.
"COVID-19 continues to challenge all of us, which is why taking care of our physical and mental well-being is so important - to get us through the difficult days and get to the brighter days ahead," provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and health minister Adrian Dix said in a joint statement.
"We remind everyone about the importance of using all of our layers of protection: maintaining a safe distance from others, washing our hands regularly, staying home when we are ill, using a mask in all public spaces and having robust COVID-19 safety plans in all businesses.
"Equally important is the need to ensure you are following all province-wide public health orders and restrictions - especially with the uptick in cases in the Lower Mainland and northern region.
"We all know what we need to do. Until we have widespread vaccine availability, these small steps make a big difference in helping to keep all of us safe."
