(Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

COVID-19 OUTBREAK

IH reporting stable numbers for Gemstone Care Centre outbreak

Jan 25, 2021 | 3:39 PM

KAMLOOPS — Interior Health says an outbreak at the Gemstone Care Centre in Brocklehurst has remained stable after the weekend.

The last update on Friday (Jan. 22) stated there were 17 residents and seven staff members infected, and one death. As of Monday (Jan. 25), IH Medical Health Officer Dr. Carol Fenton says there has not been growth.

“The numbers at Gemstone have been stable for a number of days, so we’re really happy to hear that.”

Late Monday, Interior Health announced a second death at the facility, leaving a total of 23 active cases at Gemstone.

Dr. Fenton says it will take some time for the long-term care facility to lose the “outbreak” status.

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“Our standard approach to outbreaks that we’ve applied here is that we can declare an outbreak over after we’ve seen two incubation periods with no new cases. Because the incubation for COVID is so long — 14 days — we actually have to wait 28 days before we could feel safe to declare it over.”

Should the numbers remain stable and decrease, IH says the outbreak could be declared over by the middle or end of February.

With community transmission reaching concerning levels in the Interior and Kamloops, health officials urge residents to take virus precautions seriously.

“No socializing with anyone outside of your household. Even if its a family member or someone you really trust. We really don’t know who is safe at this point because of that long incubation period,” Dr. Fenton stresses, “so we need to be really vigilant.”