AMHERST - The situation at Cumberland County schools continues to stablize with fewer illness-related absences.

Figures released Thursday by the Chignecto-Central Regional School Board indicated there were only five schools in the Chignecto family with absences over 10 per cent, and even those were just barely over the threshold that requires them to report to the Department of Health.

Wallace Elementary and River Hebert District High were reporting absent rates of 12.1 per cent while West Highlands Elementary was 11.4 per cent, Oxford Regional Elementary was 11.1 per cent and Oxford Regional High was 10.9 per cent.

The family average is well below 10 per cent.

The Cumberland Health Authority announced Wednesday it was closing its flu assessment centre in the Amherst Town Square Mall as the number of H1N1 cases in the county continues to decline.

There are still cases of H1N1 in the community, but most have been managed at home and there have been fewer visitors to the assessment centre and the five emergency departments.

Those in priority groups are still urged to receive their H1N1 vaccination.