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UPDATE: 2 p.m.
The recent COVID-19 outbreak at Sandalwood Retirement Resort in Kelowna was reportedly triggered by two residents who refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine despite 95 percent of residents opting for immunization.
The first COVID-19 case in the retirement home was identified last week, but Interior Health didn’t report an outbreak until Friday after a total of 10 residents tested positive and one person died.
Dr. Interior Health chief medical health officer Albert de Villiers said three people at the facility who contracted the virus were hospitalized and one of them died from the disease.
“Most of the cases were caught on asymptomatic tests. As soon as we see a case or two that happened about a week ago, we go in and do asymptomatic tests to see if there are more,” said Dr. de Villiers.
“So most people have no symptoms and most people have actually been vaccinated. This shows that the vaccine is working.”
Regency Resorts operates seven senior facilities in the Okanagan, including Sandalwood. In a letter to its residents on April 16, Regency said the virus was introduced into “one of our resorts in the Okanagan” after “a few residents” returned from a stay at Kelowna General Hospital.
“The two people currently suffering from the virus refused to receive the vaccine when the vaccination was available,” the April 16 letter said.
Regency Resorts declined to comment on the matter.
While Dr. de Villiers wouldn’t say whether the three people hospitalized had rejected the vaccine, he said the recent outbreak still shows that the COVID-19 vaccine is effective in preventing serious illness and death.
“People who have been vaccinated tend to get milder diseases. Most of the cases we picked up were asymptomatic, which means they had very mild or no symptoms, ”he said, adding that you will likely see more asymptomatic cases as the tests progress.
He compared the most recent outbreak to the outbreak in Oliver’s McKinney Place in December, where 17 residents died.
“There we had most of the residents sick and most of them were symptomatic and we had some deaths and many more hospitalizations,” he said. “It definitely shows that the vaccine is doing its job.”
ORIGINAL: 1 p.m.
A new COVID-19 outbreak has been reported at a senior citizen facility in Kelowna and a resident has died from the virus.
On Friday, Interior Health announced that 10 residents and one employee at Sandalwood Retirement Resort tested positive for the virus and one person died.
IH did not say when the first person tested positive for the virus or how far the residents and staff of the residence were vaccinated. Located on Yates Road in the Glenmore neighborhood of Kelowna, Sandalwood is an independent residential residence operated by Regency Resorts.
“Contact tracing is happening and anyone who is in close contact with these people is given instructions on how to self-isolate and monitor symptoms,” IH said in a press release. “Additional tests are being carried out.
“IH communicable disease specialists and a clinical surgery team will continue to monitor the situation. Additional infection control and prevention measures have been implemented and IH will provide additional resources as needed to stop the virus from spreading. “
Earlier this year, the vast majority of residents and employees of nursing homes and assisted living facilities were vaccinated against COVID-19.
Another local outbreak occurred at the Cottonwoods Care Center last month after the immunization took place, but IH said the vaccine largely prevented people’s symptoms from becoming too severe. But one person connected to this outbreak also died.
