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Interior Health reports 64 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death

One more person has died from the virus, bringing the region’s death toll to 115
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The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine is shown at a vaccine clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto on Tuesday, December 15, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Health officials identified another 64 cases of COVID-19 in the Interior Health (IH) region on Wednesday (March 31), as the province recorded a record 1,013 cases, as well as three deaths.

One more person has died from the virus, bringing the region’s death toll to 115. The new death is tied to an outbreak in unit 5B at the Kelowna General Hospital (KGH).

Across the health authority, 8,545 people have been diagnosed with the virus since testing began and 500 of those cases remain active. A total of 7,929 people have recovered, around 93 per cent.

Fifteen people are hospitalized, eight of whom are in intensive care.

IH declared two more outbreaks today, both at hospitals. The health authority announced a third outbreak at KGH, this time on unit 4E where two cases, one patient and one staff, have been identified. IH also announced an outbreak at Vernon’s Jubilee Hospital (VJH): three patients have been diagnosed with the virus on the hospital’s third level.

Three of the four active outbreaks in the region are in Kelowna, two at KGH. The health authority offered the following update on outbreaks in the region:

  • Cottonwoods Care Centre long-term care in Kelowna has 27 cases: 24 residents and three staff.
  • KGH unit 5B has 10 cases: five patients and five staff, with two deaths connected to the outbreak.
  • An outbreak has been declared on unit 4E at KGH with two cases: one patient and one staff.
  • An outbreak has been declared at VJH Level 3 surgical unit with three patient cases.

Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com


@michaelrdrguez
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