18 people in Kelowna test positive for COVID-19 following exposures earlier this month

There have now been 27 people in B.C. who have tested positive after a number of people with COVID-19 partied at Kelowna resort hotels around Canada Day.

That’s up by 10 people connected to that event just two days ago with 18 of them living Kelowna and nine in the Lower Mainland, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said during her COVID-19 update today, July 17.

“Interior Health has been very actively following all of the trails,” Dr. Henry said. “We’re confident we’re finding people and isolating them before they develop symptoms themselves.”

Initial reports said some of the eight people who participated in the Kelowna events between June 25 and July 6 were from Alberta. No mention was made of whether cases are also cropping up in Alberta.

READ MORE: 8 COVID-19 cases may be linked to Kelowna house party; Interior Health investigating

Seven new people tested positive for COVID-19 in the Interior Health region in the last 24 hours, bringing the region’s total to 223.

Two new cases seem to be linked to the outbreak at the Krazy Cherry Fruit Company in Oliver where there are now four cases.

READ MORE: UPDATE: 2 COVID-19 cases confirmed at Oliver farm while town hall closes due to positive staff test

In B.C. as a whole, there were 21 new cases in the last 24 hours, which includes the seven in the Interior, bringing the provincial total to 3,170. Of those 1,667 were in the Fraser Health region, 1,028 in Vancouver Coastal, 136 on Vancouver Island, 65 in the Northern Health region and 51 people who live outside Canada.

There were no new deaths, leaving that total at 189.

There have been 2,789 people who have recovered and 192 who are still sick, including 15 in hospital of which three are in intensive care.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submitphotos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.