Interior Health says there are 19 cases of COVID-19 that have been linked to a new at Royal Inland Hospital.

Seventeen of those cases are among patients, while the other two are staff members.

The outbreak was declared on Unit 5 South at RIH – a medical unit which hosts a mix of all types of medical patients of all ages and conditions. In a statement, Interior Health says the unit does not have a medical specialty like some of the other units at RIH.

This is the fourth outbreak of COVID-19 at the Kamloops hospital this year.

The other outbreaks have been at Unit 6 South, a surgical unit, which was impacted during the first outbreak in January and February and the second outbreak in June and July, and in Unit 6 North, the dedicated space for COVID-positive patients, which was impacted in the first outbreak and during the third outbreak in September and October.

Unit 5 South has been closed to new admissions, Interior Health told NL News yesterday, adding that an outbreak management team has been created.

“The hospital remains safe to visit for anyone needing emergency care,” IHA added.