Interior Health (IH) recorded 60 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday (May 13).
There are 488 active cases of the virus in the region, with 21 individuals in hospital and ten in intensive care. Since the start of the pandemic, the total number of cases is now at 11,589.
IH also recorded another death, this time connected to Spring Valley, a long-term care facility in Kelowna.
The health authority provided an update on current outbreaks in the region:
- Sandalwood Retirement Resort independent living in Kelowna has 28 cases: 26 residents and two staff, with two deaths connected to the outbreak.
- Orchard Haven long-term care in Keremeos has two cases: one resident and one staff.
- Spring Valley long-term care in Kelowna has 35 cases: 25 residents, 10 staff/other, with six deaths connected to the outbreak.
Provincial health officials announced 587 new cases of COVID-19 thorughout B.C. Overall, however, the province is seeing a drop in COVID-19 cases after vaccinations, especially in communities targeted for mass inoculations.
The province also said they have also seen a downtrend in infections in health care workers in long-term care or assisted living facilities, as well as vaccinated seniors 70 and older in these communities.
“We know that even after two doses, all the vaccines that we have are not 100 per cent effective, but they do absolutely reduce your risk of infection and importantly, they reduce your risk of transmitting to others and they reduce your risk of being in hospital, of needing ICU care or of dying,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said.
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