COVID cluster prompts closure of Tim Hortons in Merritt, B.C.

MERRITT, B.C. – An outbreak of COVID-19 at the main Tim Hortons restaurant in Merritt, B.C., has set off a voluntary closure of the restaurant.

The Interior Health authority says the business had precautions in place to prevent transmission to the public and its investigation has determined there was no exposure to the general public.

It says all confirmed cases are isolating while contact tracing is underway and the authority will increase testing capacity in Merritt to address any possible additional demands.

It says there is no evidence that COVID-19 is spread through food made by infected people.

Another 155 people have tested positive in the province, bringing B.C.’s total to 11,189.

B.C.’s death toll has also gone up by one person to 251 deaths.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2020.