Another COVID-19 outbreak announced at Okanagan hospital

A second COVID-19 outbreak at an Okanagan hospital has been announced this month.

Interior Health reported an outbreak at Vernon Jubilee Hospital, April 21 in the 3 North medical unit. The health authority does not directly list how many cases an outbreak includes.

Earlier this month, an outbreak involving 21 cases was reported at Kelowna General Hospital in the rehabilitation ward. It remains active.

“This is an inpatient unit,” says a previous emailed statement from Interior Health about the KGH outbreak. “Additional infection control measures have been implemented on the unit including pausing non-essential visits and testing all patients on the unit.”

There are multiple COVID-19 outbreaks in other Kamloops and Okanagan long-term care and assisted-living facilities including: Overlander and The Hamlets at Westsyde in Kamloops, Westview Place and Haven Hill in Penticton, Village at Smith Creek and Brandt's Creek Mews in the Central Okanagan and The Hamlets at Vernon in the North Okanagan.

Interior Health could not be immediately reached for comment.

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