After Kelowna’s GoodLife Fitness warned customers last week that a staff member had tested positive for COVID-19, Interior Health says the gym spoke too soon.
On Thursday, Sept. 9, the gym in the Capri Centre Mall informed members by email that an employee had tested positive for the virus and had worked several shifts in late August and early September. But following an investigation into the matter, Interior Health says there is no COVID-19 case associated with the gym and no risk to the public.
“The notification by GoodLife to customers was made in good faith, but was premature and Interior Health reminds people and businesses not to issue notifications of exposure without speaking to Interior Health first,” Susan Duncan, a spokesperson with the regional health authority, said Saturday, Sept. 12.
Interior Health releases information in cases of known possible exposures when they cannot contact every person who may have been exposed, as per contact tracing protocols outlined by the BC Centre for Disease Control.
“In many cases, a COVID-19 exposure does not require broad community notification because we are often able to trace every potentially exposed person,” Duncan said.
“Our public health teams will always issue a notice of public exposure after the close contacts of a confirmed case cannot be contacted directly.”
READ MORE: B.C. records 132 more COVID-19 cases, one in long-term care
READ MORE: COVID-19 prompts Summerland railway to cancel operations
