Two Kelowna hotels identified for early July COVID-19 exposure, more locations to come

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Vancouver — Health officials have issued a public warning about possible COVID-19 exposure in Kelowna after eight people carrying the virus spent time in the city's downtown and waterfront areas.

Interior Health is urging anyone who attended private gatherings at the following locations and dates to self-isolate and monitor themselves closely for symptoms of COVID-19:

Interior Health said eight COVID-19 carriers were out and about at private gatherings, bars, restaurants and other businesses in the city’s downtown and waterfront between June 25 and July 6.

Contact-tracing is currently underway, but the health authority said people who might have been exposed to the virus should watch for symptoms in the meantime.

People who were at the Discovery Bay Resort and Gyro Beach Lodge on the specific dates are being told to self-isolate, while people who spent time in Kelowna’s downtown and waterfront areas are being asked to simply monitory themselves for symptoms.

Common symptoms of COVID-19 include:

Other milder symptoms may include: runny nose, fatigue, body aches (muscles and joints aching), diarrhea, headache, sore throat, vomiting and red eyes.

"Given the number of cases and potential locations involved, we are urging anyone who participated in events over these dates to monitor closely for symptoms," Interior Health said in an advisory.

Interior Health says its health teams are continuing to track where the six people went over the course of their trip to Kelowna, and they’ll be releasing more specific locations as their investigation continues.

Health workers are also reaching out directly to people who may have been exposed.

In its original advisory, Interior Health said larger events on Canada Day and the holiday weekend are "of specific concern."

Six of the eight COVID-positive people identified live outside the Interior Health region, officials said. Investigators are still working to determine how they initially came into contact with the virus.