Some encouraging news on the COVID front: Officials say cases have dropped in St. Joe County.

And the drop is described as “significant.”

St. Joseph County Deputy Health Officer Dr. Mark Fox tells WSBT that the largely contagious Omicron variant may have helped spread a herd immunity in the area, and it appears the county has finally turned the corner on the Omicron surge.

Dr. Fox says the last ten days of January saw a 45 percent decrease in cases in the county, and there are signs all over the world that Omicron is on the decline.

Fox says the local hospitalization rates next two weeks will tell the real story, but he’s encouraged, yet cautious.