Interior Health region records third COVID-19 death

A 70-year-old man died of COVID-19 in the Interior Health region within the past 24 hours.

It’s the third death in the region but no further details were provided in an Interior Health news release issued today, Oct. 28.

“This is a sobering reminder of how deadly COVID-19 can be and on behalf of everyone at Interior Health, we extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends who lost their loved one,” Susan Brown, president and CEO of Interior Health, said in the news release.

Along with the death in Interior Health, one other B.C. resident has died in the last 24 hours, bringing the death total to 261.

Another 287 new cases have been detected in B.C. in the last 24 hours, bringing the provincial total to 13,875. The ten new cases in the Interior Health region brings the total to 727.

"There has been one new community outbreak at the Okanagan Men's Centre,” a joint statement from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and deputy minister of health Stephen Brown reads, but it provided no further details. The men’s centre is in Lake Country, according to its website.

Sixteen cases are linked to the outbreak at École de L’Anse-au-sable in Kelowna. There have been no additional exposures at Kelowna Secondary School or St. Joseph Catholic School.

"Recently we have seen a number of new cases and clusters directly connected to social events in private homes,” the joint statement reads. “Unlike our schools and workplaces, most homes do not have space for everyone to keep a safe distance from others, nor do our homes have the layers of protection – the physical barriers, one-way pathways and the use of masks – that are part of school and work COVID-19 safety plans.

"Now is the time for us to take a step back from our in-person social events and gatherings, and connect virtually instead. This will help to protect our loved ones, our seniors, Elders and our communities as we move forward."

There are now 87 people in hospital in B.C., including 25 in intensive care. None of the hospitalized people are in the Interior Health region.

There are 2,316 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, 91 of which are in the Interior Health region. There are 5,358 people who are under active public health monitoring, 175 of whom are in Interior Health.

There have been 7,863 COVID-19 cases in the Fraser Health region since the start of the pandemic, 4,545 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 253 in the Island Health region, 399 in the Northern Health region and 88 cases of people who live outside of Canada.

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