Sixty COVID-19 cases confirmed in Big White Ski Resort cluster
A COVID-19 cluster was confirmed at Big White on Dec. 15 with 60 cases identified at the time. Since then, the cluster has grown to 111 cases.
According to Interior Health, most of the cases were attributed to shared housing and social gatherings.
Following the announcement of the cluster Big White Ski Resort management dismissed some of its employees, who were found to be in breach of some of the mountain’s COVID-19 related policies.
A COVID-19 task force made up of executives and members of the community are working with the health authority, the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary and the RCMP to were put into action to contain the cluster.
Holiday passes were pulled for anyone not within 150 kilometres of Big White Ski Resort in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Those who have had their passes cancelled had been given full refunds.
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First long-term care resident dies from COVID-19 in Interior Health
Long term care home
Interior Health recorded its first-long term care death from COVID-19 on Dec. 3.
A man in his 80s has died as a result of an outbreak of the coronavirus at Mountainview Village in Kelowna.
An outbreak of COVID-19 was first recorded at the long-term care facility at the end of November.
On Dec. 22, the health authority announced a second death related to this outbreak.
An outbreak was also declared by Interior Health at West Kelowna’s Heritage Retirement Residence, on Dec. 17. At the time, four staff members and six residents at the facility tested positive for COVID-19.
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More than 15,000 people have died in Canada due to COVID-19
Canada has surpassed 15,000 deaths related to COVID-19.
The grim milestone was reached with the reporting of 37 new deaths in Quebec. That province has recorded by far the most fatalities due to COVID-19, with 8,023 deaths. The second highest death toll is in Ontario with 4,342 fatalities.
A total of 15,001 Canadians have now died from COVID-19. B.C. has had a total of 808 deaths so far, with many of those coming in the second wave this past fall and winter. Alberta is at 890 deaths.
