Interior Health declares respiratory and gastrointestinal outbreaks in Okanagan and Shuswap facilities

Outbreaks at local facilities

Photo: Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

Several facilities in the Okanagan and Shuswap are dealing with respiratory and gastrointestinal outbreaks.

A respiratory infection outbreak is still being dealt with at Shuswap Lake Hospital in Salmon Arm.

According to the Interior Health website, the outbreak is on Level 2 of the hospital and was declared Jan. 7.

IH has also declared a gastrointestinal illness outbreak for the entirety of Penticton's Trinity Care Centre. That outbreak was also declared Jan. 7.

A respiratory infection outbreak has also been declared in the Pear and Apple units of the Brandt's Creek Mews in Kelowna. The outbreak at the long-term care facility was declared Jan. 6.

In the North Okanagan, The Hamlets at Vernon continues to deal with a gastrointestinal Illness outbreak that was declared Dec. 31.

According to IH, the outbreak is on the second and third floors of the facility.

When an outbreak is over, the facility is removed from the IH list.

A number of illnesses are circulating in B.C. this winter season, including the flu, COVID-19, norovirus and colds.