COVID-19 outbreak declared at Oliver long-term care home

An outbreak has been declared at McKinney Place long-term care in Oliver, where eight residents tested positive for COVID-19.

Interior Health will continue to monitor the situation while implementing additional infection control and preventive measures. Extensive testing of staff and residents is also underway.

"To protect the safety of everyone at the home, outbreak protocols are in place, including a pause in all visits to the long-term care unit," the health authority said in press release.

McKinney Place is operated by Interior Health and is connected to South Okanagan General Hospital. The long-term care section has 61 residents in the 75 publicly funded long-term care beds. The hospital is not included in the outbreak.

Measures taken to ensure safety at long-term care facilities include staff members only working at one care home, monitoring of all residents for respiratory symptoms and doing COVID-19 testing on anyone with COVID-19 symptoms and enhanced cleaning protocols and COVID-19 visitor policies.

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