No active lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in B.C.’s Interior Health region

The latest data from the B.C. government shows the Interior Health region has hit a milestone.

As of Wednesday, there were no active lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Interior Health region, according to data from the BC Centre for Disease Control website.

One hundred ninety-five people in the health region have tested positive for the novel coronavirus since the first case of the virus was identified in the area back in February.

Since then, 193 of those people have recovered and two have died.

Provincially there were 214 active lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday’s update.

The case data is updated daily so Interior Health’s lack of active lab-confirmed cases could change quickly.

Asked on Tuesday about the possibility of some areas of the province relaxing coronavirus-related restrictions before others, B.C. health officials said they plan to continue taking a provincewide approach to the pandemic.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry credited the coordinated provincial approach for helping to keep B.C.’s case count down.

“We have seen the numbers decrease as the testing capacity increases, as the public health teams are doing their work, as our businesses are opening and changing around the province in sync, and I don’t feel that there’s a differential risk right now,” Henry said.

Health Minister Adrian Dix agreed that a provincewide response had given B.C. an edge as it managed the pandemic.

“It recognizes the potential risk in all health regions,” Dix said.

“In fact, some of the regions that have had the lowest outbreak have also had very significant cases and very unique circumstances that have required a remarkable public health response.”

On Wednesday the province reported 22 new cases of COVID-19, 21 of those were in the Fraser Health region and one was in Vancouver Coastal Health.

The Interior Health region covers a large area of B.C.’s Southern Interior and is home to more than 700,000 people.