Prison staff infected with Covid at training session

Interior Health (IH) says initial findings show three staff members at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver, were infected with COVID-19 at a two day off-site training session.

The employees are in isolation at home while IH staff perform contact tracing to identify anyone who may have been exposed to the virus.

“There is no evidence of community transmission, and we are closely monitoring the situation,” said a news release from IH.

Public visits to the prison have been restricted since March 12 and any new inmates who entered the facility are isolated for 14 days to prevent the introduction of COVID-19 into the institution.

Testing is recommended for anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of sense of taste or smell
• Other milder symptoms may include: runny nose, fatigue, body aches (muscles and joints aching), diarrhea, headache, sore throat, vomiting and red eyes.

IH reminds everyone of the importance of following COVID-19 precautions:

• Stay home and avoid travel if you have symptoms, even mild ones.
• Maintain physical distancing (two metres apart) and use masks when distancing is not possible.
• Wash your hands regularly and do not touch your face.
• Do not plan or attend gatherings of more than 50 people. Limit gatherings to out of doors whenever possible.

Information about testing and public exposures to COVID-19 throughout the Interior Health region are available here: https://news.interiorhealth.ca/news/public-exposures/