The COVID-19 outbreak at the Okanagan Correctional Centre (OCC) in Oliver has been declared over by Interior Health (IH).
IH announced the end of the outbreak Monday (Sept. 14) morning.
This comes after seven staff tested positive for COVID-19 at the facility. IH says no one in custody contracted the virus.
According to the health authority, transmission may have occurred during a training exercise. That being said, IH says the exact source remains inconclusive.
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Those who contracted the virus were isolated at home. Through contract tracing, approximately 80 others were ordered into self-isolation.
The health authority commended the OCC’s staff and administrators for having infection control precautions in place to prevent the transmission of the virus among people in custody, and in the community.
“Thanks to efficient contact tracing and proactive engagement with Interior Health’s medical health officers, this outbreak is an example of how these challenging circumstances can be managed when partners work well together,” said Susan Brown, Interior Health president and CEO.
Interior Health reminded everyone that COVID-19 is circulating throughout our communities and we should all follow public health precautions to protect one another by preventing the spread.
IH reminded the public about the importance of following COVID-19 safety 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.
IH also recommends that anyone experiencing the following symptoms be tested for COVID-19:
- 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 the Interior Health region are available on IH’s website.
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