COVID-19 outbreak declared over at Kamloops care facility

A COVID-19 outbreak that affected 30 people and caused two deaths at the Westsyde Care Residences in Kamloops has been declared over.

The outbreak saw 13 staff members and 17 residents infected. Two people died in care, according to a news release from Interior Health today, March 11.

“This has been a difficult outbreak and I appreciate the effort by the facility as well as IH officials who supported the work to control the virus," IH president and CEO Susan Brown said in the release.

READ MORE: New COVID-19 cases down in Kamloops, up in Central Okanagan

Interior Health said the 21-bed facility is a privately operated group home for people with brain and spinal cord injuries.

“Fortunately, these outbreaks are becoming less frequent as more people are getting vaccinated, but it’s important that people continue to take precautions to prevent illness until the rest of the population is immunized,” IH chief medical health officer Dr. Albert de Villiers said in the release.

– A previous version of this story said the outbreak was declared March 11, 2021, when it was actually declared over. This story was updated at 11:40 a.m., March 11 with the correction.

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