
Interior Health is investigating after six new COVID-19 cases were confirmed this week at the Brocklehurst Gemstone Care Centre in Kamloops.
There was one new case yesterday and five more today – all among residents – taking the total to 31 cases, 23 among residents and eight among staff. Interior Health says eight of those cases are active, an increase of five since yesterday.
Cases at the care home had been holding steady at 25 since Feb. 2. These new cases come as all staff and residents at the facility had the opportunity to get a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I would love the answer to that question [on where there have been new cases] as much as anyone else and so we are investigating. We don’t have real world effectiveness data for this population for a single dose of the vaccine,” Medical Health Officer for Kamloops Dr. Carol Fenton said on NL Newsday.
“But I suspect it is lower rates of immunity because we have seen some infection. So it will be very interesting to see that data, but we’re investigating and I really, really hope that we don’t see any more infections in that facility.”
The outbreak was declared on Jan. 13, making it the oldest in the city.
The Westsyde Care Residence group home in Kamloops saw two new cases, one each in a staff member and a resident for 29 total cases – 16 residents and 13 staff. There are now 18 active cases, an increase of one since yesterday.
On a more positive note, there were no new cases at the Royal Inland Hospital outbreak which remains at 105 cases, 36 patients and 69 staff, with 32 active. No new cases as well at the Highridge Home and Singh House outbreak which remains at nine cases, one resident and eight staff, Seven of those cases are active.
Provincial health officials reported 445 new cases of the virus today and ten more deaths, with 44 new cases and one death in Interior Health.