Interior Health corrects the number of COVID-19 cases at West Kelowna nursery

Interior Health has corrected the number of cases of COVID-19 reported amongst farm workers at Bylands Nurseries in West Kelowna.

It first reported, on March 31, that 75 workers had been put in isolation after 14 of them had tested positive for COVID-19. Over the next few days that number grew to 20.

On April 14, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced three new positive tests among the workers. Another three were added the next day, bringing the total to 26.

In fact, after Interior Health checked, it was determined that the second announcement was made in error and there are only 23 total cases.

“These cases are considered, from a public health perspective, as part of the original outbreak first declared on March 28,” an email from Interior Health stated. “That outbreak would be considered over when the MHO (medical health officer) is satisfied that there is no longer transmission, typically after two full incubation periods since the last case."


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Rob Munro

Rob Munro

Rob Munro has a long history in journalism after starting an underground newspaper in Whitehorse called the Yukon Howl in 1980. He spent five years at the 100 Mile Free Press, starting in the darkroom, moving on to sports and news reporting before becoming the advertising manager. He came to Kelowna in 1989 as a reporter for the Kelowna Daily Courier, and spent the 1990s mostly covering city hall. For most of the past 20 years he worked full time for the union representing newspaper workers throughout B.C. He’s returned to his true love of being a reporter with a special focus on civic politics