Covid outbreak ends at Okanagan prison

Interior Health has declared the COVID-19 outbreak at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver over.

In total, seven staff tested positive for the virus with with no one in custody contracting it, and about 80 close contacts were ordered into self-isolation

The early indication suggested transmission occurred during a training exercise, but the the exact source remains inconclusive.

“I commend the Okanagan Correctional Centre’s staff and administrators for having infection control precautions in place to prevent COVID-19 transmission among people in custody and the community,” said Susan Brown, Interior Health president and CEO. “Thanks to efficient contact tracing and proactive engagement with Interior Health’s medical health officers, this outbreak is an example of how these challenging circumstances can be managed when partners work well together.”