The COVID-19 outbreak at Royal Inland Hospital has grown by one more case to 92 total cases.

Interior Health says there are 32 patients and 60 staff affected, with 58 of those cases currently active. There is still the one death connected to this outbreak – an elderly patient.

The outbreak was first reported on Jan. 22 with eight cases.

Interior Health also noted there is no evidence that COVID-19 has spread beyond the two wards at the hospital – 6 South, a surgical ward, and 6 North, the hospital’s designated COVID-19 unit.

“It’s possible that we may have some further involvement – and it may be that it’s increased testing,” said Karen Bloemink, the interim Vice-President of Pandemic Response for Interior Health. “I am aware that we are doing quite broad testing through the hospital so that we can be as prepared as possible with the information we need for containment.”

She was also asked if Interior Health was transferring some patients at the hospital to neighbouring communities because of the situation at RIH.

“We would be doing this anywhere where we had increased activity. We are paying very close attention to the occupancy within the hospital and that does include the intensive care unit,” she said.

“Where we have challenges related to occupancy, so the hospital is becoming quite full or our critical care unit is becoming full, then we will be working with the other hospitals in the region to provide some relief.”

Bloemink did say that some surgeries at RIH have been postponed because of capacity constraints caused by the outbreak.

Meanwhile, the outbreak at the Westsyde Care Residences has grown to 21 cases – 10 residents and 11 staff. That is an increase of two staff cases from yesterday. All 21 cases are active.

The outbreak at the Brocklehurst Gemstone Care remains at 25 cases, with three of those active. There are still two deaths linked to this outbreak.

Across B.C. there were another 465 cases of COVID-19 reported today, 54 of which were in Interior Health.