COVID-19 cases in Oliver, B.C., one involves farm worker

OLIVER (NEWS 1130) — An isolation order has been issued for a fruit farm in Oliver, B.C. after two COVID-19 cases were confirmed there, one including a worker.

The Interior Health Authority issued the isolation order for Krazy Cherry Fruit Co. in Oliver due to two positive COVID-19 cases associated with the farm.

“Public health teams are monitoring the situation closely and have placed restrictions on those living and working on the farm to limit the potential for further transmission,” says a release from the province.

Susan Brown, president of Interior Health Authority, confirmed earlier in the day one of the cases involves a male worker.

She added the male worker is being well looked after and receiving appropriate medical care.

Brown was taking part in a funding announcement regarding long-term care beds in Kelowna with Health Minister Adrian Dix.

In April, a large outbreak of COVID-19 involving temporary foreign workers occurred at the Bylands Garden Centre in Kelowna.

Interior Health also has identified additional locations in Kelowna, through testing, where individuals may have been exposed to COVID-19 between June 25 and July 6.

READ ALSO: Temporary foreign workers in Okanagan test positive for coronavirus in first large community outbreak

Of eight confirmed COVID-19 cases linked to the private parties, most of those infected are not from Kelowna. At least one is believed to be from Vancouver, according to Health Minister Adrian Dix.

PSA: Further testing of individuals who gathered at various Kelowna locations between June 25 and July 6 has allowed Interior Health (IH) to identify additional locations in Kelowna where individuals may have been exposed to COVID-19.

Details: https://t.co/AUIGd2gjH4 pic.twitter.com/nddwQjS54q

— Interior Health (@Interior_Health) July 13, 2020

He said the Vancouver and Fraser health authorities are now involved in that investigation.

Dix also said B.C. has no plans to roll back restrictions eased as part of the third phase of the province’s economic restart plan despite the outbreaks.

READ ALSO: Sweeping COVID-19 warning issued for Kelowna after cases linked to Canada Day events

“I think the reopening plans have been based on the science. It’s been from a systematic, methodical process from Day 1, based on the evidence we see. And that’s how we’re acting we’re going to continue to follow that path,” he added.

“I think that the challenge is that we’re going to be dealing with this for months and months and months. So we have to understand that while we’ve done very well in B.C., we cannot become complacent. We can’t ever become complacent.”

Since the start of the pandemic, the Interior Health Region has had 202 total cases of COVID-19.

The Vancouver Coastal Health region has had 990 cases, as of Friday, while Fraser Health has seen 1,610. Cases in other health regions since the start of the pandemic: 135 in Island; 65 in Northern. There have been 51 cases in B.C. of people who reside outside of Canada.