Interior Health has officially declared the COVID-19 outbreak at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver is over.

Seven staff members were infected but no prisoners. The outbreak was officially declared on Aug. 14 until today, Sept. 14.

The infected staff members isolated at home and, through contact tracing, another 80 people who were in close contact with them also went into self-isolation.

“Thanks to efficient contact tracing and proactive engagement with Interior Health’s medical health officers, this outbreak is an example of how these challenging circumstances can be managed when partners work well together,” Susan Brown, Interior Health president and CEO, said in a news release.

Initially it was thought the staff members were infected during a training exercise but the exact source is inconclusive.

“Interior Health reminds everyone that COVID-19 is circulating throughout our communities and we should all follow public health precautions to protect one another by preventing the spread,” the news release states.

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