Interior Health is reporting one death linked to an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak on Unit 5S at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.

It was one of 17 COVID-19 deaths in B.C. this weekend, as the province reported 1,438 new cases in the past three days, 321 of which were in Interior Health.

In an update on Monday afternoon, Interior Health says there are now 25 cases – 19 patients and six staff – connected to the outbreak which was declared a week ago, on Nov. 2. It is an increase from 23 cases at the hospital as of Friday’s update.

This is the fourth COVID-19 outbreak at the Kamloops hospital this year, and the second where a death has been reported.

The first outbreak at RIH saw 105 cases and four deaths in January and February while the second in June and July saw 10 cases and no deaths. The third outbreak in September and October had just two cases connected.

Unit 5 South remains 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 said in a statement to NL News last Wednesday.