Northern Health region adds 130 cases Wednesday, Fort St. John has highest vaccination rate in Northeast region

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Northern Health region added 130 cases on Wednesday, moving the active case count to 829.

There are 84 people in hospital, 15 of whom are in critical care.

There were no COVID-19 deaths Wednesday, keeping the regional total at 176.

Of the 12,529 cases recorded, 11,453 have since recovered.

In the north, 730 more vaccine doses were given since Tuesday, bringing the total dose count to 358,055. Of those, 165,907 are second doses.

British Columbia added 752 cases on Wednesday, moving the provincial active case count to 5,945.

Of the 350 people in hospital, 136 are in critical care.

There were nine COVID-19 deaths recorded Wednesday, moving the B.C. total to 1,992.

There have been 191,124 cases in B.C., 182,786 of those have since recovered.

The province added 13,857 vaccine doses Wednesday, bringing the total dose count to 7,908,832. Of those, 3,799,798 are second doses.

As of Wednesday, 88.4 per cent of eligible British Columbians over 12 have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 81.9 per cent have received both doses.

Northern Health released the weekly community immunization coverage report on October 6th. Using data up until 11:59 p.m. on October 5th, Fort St. John has reached 72 per cent with one dose and 59 per cent with two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Dawson Creek has 66 per cent of its residents with one dose and 55 per cent of its residents fully immunized.

Peace River North Rural has the lowest rates in the region with 49 per cent with one dose and 40 per cent with both vaccine doses.

Tumbler Ridge is the other community in the Northeast that has 59 per cent of its residents with both doses, the highest in the region.