Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED / Province of B.C.

After a week where the number of new cases of COVID-19 in the Interior Health region hit double digits every day, there was better news today.

Only four people tested positive for the disease in the last 24, bringing the total number of cases to 319, according to a Ministry of Health media release. 

Of those, Interior Health reported today, July 24, that 86 B.C. residents are linked to the recent events in Kelowna, with 74 of those living in the Interior Health region, seven in the Fraser Health region and five in Vancouver Coastal.

Those events included a number of parties around Canada Day.

READ MORE: Nearly 1,000 British Columbians self isolating due to Kelowna COVID-19 exposure

There has been one more Kelowna General Hospital employee who has tested positive, bringing the total to eight.

“This is another community-acquired case, linked to the broader cluster in Kelowna,” states an Interior Health news release. “This was not an exposure in hospital and we have no evidence of any patient exposures related to these staff cases. Investigations and follow-up on this and additional cases related to the cluster continue.”

The has also been another Kelowna business, Fossello’s clothing store, that has been identified as a possible place COVID-19 may have been spread.

READ MORE: Possible COVID-19 exposure at Kelowna clothing store

In B.C., there were 27 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the provincial total to 3,419, of which 2,934 have recovered, 294 are still sick with 12 in hospital of which three are in intensive care.

One more person has died, bringing the provincial total to 191.

Of the total cases, 1,764 have been in the Fraser Health region, 1,057 in Vancouver Coastal, 142 on Vancouver Island, 79 in the Northern health region and 58 people who live outside of Canada.

A community outbreak has been declared in Haida Gwaii with 13 confirmed cases.

“At this time cases are all local residents,” states a joint news release from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and minister of health Adrian Dix. “While the initial source of transmission is still being investigated, the cases are all epidemiologically linked. Some are related residents who had recently travelled off island, and others are from exposure to known cases.”

New orders governing the number of people who can stay in rented rooms and boats have not yet materialized, but the release states they will be announced in the coming days.

"As we all enjoy our summer, we can reduce the potential for COVID-19 to spread by taking the time to assess the risks before spending time with others,” the joint release states.

"Can you keep a safe distance from others? Are you giving people the space to stay safe? Are you spending a short time together? Are you outside? Are the people you are with in your bubble? These are the questions we all need to ask ourselves.

"If you can't say yes to these questions, then say no to the activity and choose to do something else instead.”

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