Image Credit: ADOBE STOCK
May 05, 2020 - 3:44 PM
Kelowna's sole COVID-19 care home outbreak has been declared over, with no new cases arising.
"Interior Health is pleased to declare the COVID-19 outbreak at Orchard Manor/Hawthorn Park over," Karl Hardt, with Interior Health said. "The outbreak ended with only one staff case reported during the 14-day incubation period."
Hardt said the successful conclusion of this outbreak is the result of excellent co-operation and partnership from everyone involved, including the operator and their team and Interior Health’s infection control and environmental health experts who worked together on the appropriate infection control response.
When the diagnosis was made, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said that due to the safety precautions already implemented there was a greater chance that a spread of the disease could be avoided.
"Hopefully we won't see any transmission in that facility but at the moment it's hard to know," she said.
Since then multiple outbreaks have been declared over and the curve has been flattened to some degree.
Yesterday, May 4, Dr. Henry said that B.C. was at the end of the beginning of the virus and said that social interactions were expected to open up to 60 per cent, which is double of what they are now.
"(Modelling) shows us that we might have increased numbers of cases, and some hospitalizations over time in the coming weeks, but they would be manageable," she said.
If social contact went back to what it was in December, where we were having lots of gatherings where people met, this virus would have the opportunity to take off quite rapidly.
"We could expect to see just that the more potential for transmission between people, means that the virus will be able to increase exponentially," she said.
"So our challenge, our work together, is to find that sweet spot, somewhere around increasing our contacts by at least have for twice as many as we have now, but without allowing those opportunities for the rapid exponential growth of the virus in our communities."
To contact a reporter for this story, email Kathy Michaels or call 250-718-0428 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2020