4th COVID-19 outbreak since February declared at Kelowna General Hospital

Vancouver -

A hospital in B.C.'s Interior is dealing with its fourth outbreak of COVID-19 since February after two patients and a staff member recently tested positive for the disease.

Interior Health announced the outbreak at Kelowna General Hospital on Friday, saying in a news release that the cases had been detected in unit 3E.

"There is no evidence of COVID-19 transmission to other areas of the hospital at this time," the health authority said in its release.

Health officials are directly contacting anyone who may have been exposed as part of the outbreak, and control measures have been put in place at the hospital, according to Interior Health.

"The hospital remains safe to attend for appointments and emergency care," the health authority said. "Please continue with any scheduled procedures. Self-isolation or COVID-19 testing is not required after visiting the hospital."

The outbreak in unit 3E is the fourth one to be declared at Kelowna General Hospital since February. An outbreak was declared that month in unit 4B.

In March, additional outbreaks were declared in unit 5B and unit 4E.

All three previous outbreaks were over by the time the latest one was declared, and Interior Health has said in the past that there is no evidence that any of the three outbreaks were linked to each other.