The COVID-19 pandemic claimed another life in the Northern Health region, according to data released by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
With the loss, 148 people in the region have died from the disease since the pandemic broke out slightly more than a year ago.
It was also one of eight reported in the province on Wednesday as the total on that front rose to 1,650.
Twenty-nine new cases were reported for Northern Health and active cases stood at 135, down from 147 on Tuesday. Eight people were in hospital due to the virus, up by one from the day before, with three of them in intensive care, unchanged from Tuesday.
Province-wide, 521 new cases were reported while active cases declined by 75 from Tuesday to 4,815, with 340 in hospital and 118 of them in intensive care, compared to 360 and 127 the day before.
In Northern Health 124,157 vaccinations have been delivered - not including those administered by the First Nations Health Authority in the region - representing more than 40 per cent of the region's population.
For B.C. as a whole, the count stood at 2.6 million.
"Getting everyone in our province immunized is our pathway forward through the COVID-19 pandemic," provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and health minister Adrian Dix said in a joint statement.
"This will ensure we have enough protection and community immunity to allow us to slowly lift public health and travel restrictions."
They said young people 12 to 17 years old can now register to receive their vaccine, with more details to come Friday. They're also asking anyone who immunized before April 15, prior to the online system launching, to be sure to register to simplify notification of their booking for a second dose.
If you are unsure, call 1 833 838-2323 to make sure you are registered or register online at: https://gov.bc.ca/getvaccinated.
"If you have yet to book your first dose of vaccine, go online today and join the millions of people who have received their vaccine or booked their appointment for the coming days," Henry and Dix said.
"Help us put the pandemic behind us by staying small and local, and ensuring you are registered and booked for your vaccine today."
