kamloopsthisweek.com | kamloopsthisweek |
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2021 | Volume 34 No. 4
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#YKASTRONG
BLAZERS’ FORWARD PARKCREST REBUILD SOPOTYK PARALYZED GETS FUNDING
ACTIVELY SEEKING FUNDS FOR PROJECTS
Parents Bobby and Lori hope Kyrell will walk again, but WHL career over
Feds could fund $4 million worth of active transportation projects
A30
More than $37 million has been committed to rebuilding the school
A5
A7
COMMUNITY SPREAD
MAYOR CALLS ON COMMUNITY TO ‘DOUBLE DOWN’ IN FACE OF RISING COVID-19 CASES JESSICA WALLACE SEAN BRADY
STAFF REPORTERS
I
n the throes of a significant COVID-19 outbreak at Royal Inland Hospital, Kamloops mayor Ken Christian says he is worried about community transmission and is asking residents to “double down.” Cases have been climbing in Kamloops and the surrounding area as of late, including the highest number of weekly cases to date, reported last week. (New numbers were expected on Wednesday, after KTW’s press deadline.) Deadly outbreaks have been declared and remain in two healthcare settings, school exposures are on the rise and cases linger in businesses. “There is community transmission in Kamloops and we knew that this was going to happen,” Christian told KTW.
DAVE EAGLES/KTW
AT ROYAL INLAND HOSPITAL Late last week, Interior
Health declared an outbreak at Royal Inland Hospital. Initial case counts indicated eight cases connected to 6 South, a surgical ward. On Tuesday, Interior Health said the case count had grown to 51 cases, including 32 staff and 19 patients. One patient has died as a result of the outbreak. Interior Health said as of Tuesday morning, the outbreak had not spread beyond 6 South, with patients contained both in that ward and in a COVID-19 ward. The health authority is advising residents that it is safe to attend the hospital. In an interview with KTW, Kamloops medical health officer Dr. Carol Fenton said in addition to tracking down those exposed through contact tracing and advising them to isolate, signs are posted in the hospital, cleaning has been enhanced and discharges and admissions to 6 South are limited in a bid to keep people safe. Provincial Health Officer
Dr. Bonnie Henry spoke about the growth in cases at RIH during her COVID-19 briefing on Monday. She said the automatic response during outbreaks is to test all patients and staff in the affected area. She also spoke about more contagious variants of the virus. Five cases of the U.K.based variant have been identified, isolated and linked to travel. Three cases of the South African variant, meanwhile, were identified as part of community spread and contact tracers continue working to determine the source of transmission. Fenton said there is no evidence to date of a variant in the Thompson-Cariboo region. RIH staff, including emergency critical care, COVID-19 ward and physicians, were being vaccinated with first doses on Tuesday, though Fenton would not go so far as to say vaccines were being “rushed” due to the outbreak. See PRESENCE, A10
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