COVID outbreak at Kelowna church

Sep 26, 2020 | 1:53 PM Pete McIntyre

Interior Health has declared an outbreak of COVID-19 at Calvary Chapel Kelowna with four cases to date.

IH is advising anyone who attended a morning church service on Sept. 13 that they may have been exposed to COVID-19.

Public health officials are asking individuals who were in the Ann Rauser Hall within the building at 2870 Benvoulin Rd., for the 10:30 a.m. live service to self-isolate until end of the day on Sunday, Sept. 27 and to get tested if they display symptoms of COVID-19.

Four individuals are connected to the outbreak to date, with the latest three cases identified to public health on Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, Sept. 26.

Anyone who was at the church for the morning televised service, hosted in the library, on Sept. 13 is asked to monitor for signs of COVID-19 and to get tested if they begin to exhibit symptoms.

Individuals seeking a test should call their primary care provider (family physician or nurse practitioner) or the closest Interior Health community testing and assessment centre.

“We want to thank the church community for the co-operation being shown as we work to limit this exposure. We are aware that physical distancing and other safety precautions were in place, which is important to stop the spread of COVID-19,” stated an IH news release.

COVID-19 testing

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 on public exposures to COVID-19 within the Interior Health region is available here: https://news.interiorhealth.ca/news/public-exposures/.

Take the COVID-19 self-assessment test at https://bc.thrive.health/.