COVID-19 outbreak at B.C.’s Okanagan Correctional Centre declared over

Interior Health has declared the COVID-19 outbreak over at the Okanagan Correctional Centre near Oliver, B.C.

Seven staff members in all contracted the disease, the health authority said Monday, and they are all isolated at home. No inmates were infected.

Contact tracing has led to approximately 80 close contacts also being ordered into self-isolation, officials said.

Initial indications suggested transmission occurred during a training exercise, the health authority added, but the exact source remains unclear.

Interior Health is reminding the public that COVID-19 is circulating throughout the Southern Interior and everyone should follow public health precautions.

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As of Friday, there were 15 active cases of COVID-19 in the Interior Health region, bringing the total to 465 cases since the pandemic began. No one is in hospital.

IH reminds everyone of the importance of following precautions:

• Stay home and avoid travel if you have symptoms, even mild ones.
• Maintain physical distancing (two metres apart) and use masks when distancing is not possible.
• Wash your hands regularly and do not touch your face.
• Do not plan or attend gatherings of more than 50 people. Limit gatherings to out of doors whenever possible.

Testing is recommended for anyone experiencing symptoms, including:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of sense of taste or smell
• Other milder symptoms may include runny nose, fatigue, body aches (muscles and joints aching), diarrhea, headache, sore throat, vomiting and red eyes.

Information about testing and public exposures to COVID-19 throughout Interior Health are available here: https://news.interiorhealth.ca/news/public-exposures/