Death toll rises at Kelowna care homes as COVID-19 outbreaks continue

The death toll from recent COVID-19 outbreaks at Kelowna-area care homes has risen to 19.

Throughout the seven seniors care facilities within the Central Okanagan that were affected by the latest surge in cases, 139 people tested positive for the disease. Of those, 94 were residents and 45 were staff members.

The hardest hit facility has been David Lloyd Jones. It’s reported 55 cases: 41 residents and 14 staff. Seven cases were fatal.

Cottonwoods has 29 cases – 19 residents and 10 staff. There have been 18 cases at Brookhaven, with 10 among residents and eight workers. Spring Valley Care Centre has 14 cases among 10 residents and four staff.

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Village at Mill Creek has 10 cases, five each among residents and staff.

Lastly, the outbreak at Hawthorn Park assisted living has been declared over. It had one resident case and four worker cases.

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In addition to the cases in the Central Okanagan, there are currently six other care homes in the Interior Health region with outbreaks.

In August, B.C. health officials announced vaccination orders that would apply to everyone who works in long-term care and assisted living facilities throughout the province.

Vaccines will be a condition of employment for all licensed facilities, and every staff member, including volunteers, must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 12.

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Provincial health officials announced Tuesday that 85.1 per cent of eligible people 12 years and older in B.C. have been given their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 77.6 per cent have received their second dose.

To date, 7,545,871 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered.

Prior to the long weekend, there had been only 17 deaths at Central Okanagan care homes reported.