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Kelowna General Hospital hit with third COVID-19 outbreak

IH announces new outbreak on hospital’s 4E unit; outbreak on 5B ongoing; 4B outbreak over
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Kelowna General Hospital (File photo)

Interior Health (IH) has declared a COVID-19 outbreak on Kelowna General Hospital’s (KGH) unit 4E.

IH said March 31 one patient and one staff member have tested positive for the virus. The health authority is now investigating to see if others have been affected. Any patients with COVID-19 are being relocated to the hospital’s COVID-19 unit.

“There is no evidence of COVID-19 transmission to other areas of the hospital at this time,” IH said in a statement.

“The cases on 4E do not appear to be linked to the outbreak on 5B.”

Currently, there are ten cases linked to the outbreak at unit 5B: five patients and five staff members, as well as two deaths. The first KGH outbreak on unit 4B was declared over March 7.

IH said outbreak control measures are in place, with a team of infection control and communicable disease specialists, along with KGH clinical staff and leaders are meeting daily to contain the outbreak.

“The hospital remains safe to attend for appointments and emergency care. Please continue with any scheduled procedures.”

IH is reminding the public to follow health guidance including physical distancing, regular hand washing and mask-wearing.

READ: Kelowna pizzeria offers free food as province shuts down indoor dining


Twila Amato
Video journalist, Black Press Okanagan
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Twila Amato

About the Author: Twila Amato

Twila was a radio reporter based in northern Vancouver Island. She won the Jack Webster Student Journalism Award while at BCIT and received a degree in ancient and modern Greek history from McGill University.
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