Photo: Contributed

Four Interior Health facilities in the South Okanagan have listed COVID-19 outbreaks, after two were posted earlier this week.

In Osoyoos, Mariposa Gardens long term care home was added to the IH outbreak list on Tuesday.

IH has not provided any further information on the outbreaks as to the number of patients.

Three care homes were added on Sunday, including Sunnybank Retirement Centre in Oliver, Westview Place long term care centre in Penticton and the Summerland Seniors Village assisted and independent living facility.

The outbreaks list is updated when new outbreaks are declared in a facility. The complete list can be found here.

The Penticton area saw a surge of COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks, leading the Thompson-Okanagan in per capita infections.

New data from the BC Centre for Disease Control reported 350 cases between Jan. 9 and 12. The week prior, 306 cases were reported in the area.

Summerland's grew from 63 to 81, while the South Okanagan, which includes Oliver and Osoyoos, is up to 83.

Case counts have become a much less useful metric in recent months, as B.C.'s testing system is at capacity. A triage system means PCR tests are reserved for vulnerable people. Many others are being given rapid antigen tests, results of which are not added to daily case counts.