8 residents test positive for COVID-19 at Oliver, B.C., long-term care home

Interior Health (IH) has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at a long-term care home in Oliver, B.C. after eight residents tested positive for the virus.

“They all presented symptomatic around the same time and that speaks to the explosive nature of this disease,” said Dr.Silvina Mema, medical health officer with Interior Health.

The facility is operated by the IH, which believes shared rooms may have contributed to the virus’ rapid spread.

“Residents share their bedrooms with other residents, so that may have had an impact on the spread of COVID,” said Mema.

IH said it’s implementing additional infection control and prevention measures at McKinney Place, which is connected to the South Okanagan General Hospital.

Health officials said the outbreak does not include the hospital.

All visitations have been immediately halted as part of the outbreak protocol implementation.

McKinney Place has 61 residents living in the long-term care section of the facility.

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Interior Health said “extensive testing” of staff and residents is underway.

“We are prioritizing these individuals, these tests,” said Mema. “So the tests that go to the lab that have been collected in an outbreak facility are being prioritized, so we are getting those results quickly.”

It’s believed to be the largest COVID-19 outbreak involving care home residents in B.C.’s Southern Interior since the pandemic began.

Care home outbreaks declared earlier this year were limited to test-positive staff, but in late November, a care home resident at Mountainview Village in Kelowna, became the first in the region to contract the virus, and later died.

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IH’s president urged people to follow COVID-19 guidance to protect those living in long-term care.

“We all have a role to play to stop the spread in our communities, and I’m asking everyone to stick close to home right now and keep to your household,” Susan Brown said in a statement.

Meanwhile, a second COVID-19 outbreak was declared at Village by the Station long-term care in Penticton over the weekend.

One resident and one staff member have tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

It’s the second outbreak at the Penticton care home in less than a month.

All active facility outbreaks in IH can be found here.

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