There have now been 23 cases of COVID-19 in the Salmo area this month, according to Interior Health.
The health authority said Thursday it continues to investigate cases in the community of 1,141 people after the first case was made public Nov. 7.
Dr. Karin Goodison, a medical health officer with Interior Health, said Salmo鈥檚 cases are connected to social events in the village area.
鈥淲e can really link most of these people together. So it鈥檚 not out of control transmission in the community,鈥� said Goodison, who added there鈥檚 no evidence to show the cases are linked to any Halloween parties.
鈥淚t鈥檚 where we see that this person was with these people, and these people got infected and then they went and saw this other person. We can trace it, and so that鈥檚 really important for us to understand what control measures we need to apply in these situations.鈥�
Goodison couldn鈥檛 say how many of Salmo鈥檚 cases remain active or are recovered.
Salmo is part of the Nelson Health Area, which includes Nelson and Kaslo. Prior to the Salmo cases there had been just 12 cases in the area from January to October, according to the .
鈥淥ur key message here is that really this is time to not be out socializing. This is the time to keep our people who we spend time with to our families and a couple key people who help keep us mentally stable during this really challenging time.鈥�
There have also been no exposures at both Salmo Secondary and Salmo Elementary, which continue to be open.
Goodison encouraged Salmo residents to continue going to work, and to keep sending their children to school.
鈥淭he school environment is a very safe setting and having a few cases in a community should not stop people from attending school,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n fact it鈥檚 a very good place to be. If I was a parent in that community I would continue to be sending my child to school.鈥�
Prior to Thursday there was just 10 cases known of in the Salmo region after the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 217 who attended the village鈥檚 Remembrance Day ceremony had contracted COVID-19.
The Village of Salmo office, Salmo Valley Youth and Community Centre and a thrift store are currently closed. The Salmo Valley Public Library building is closed to the public, but library staff are still offering services at the front door.
Testing is available by appointment only at Salmo Wellness Centre as well as at centres in Trail, Nelson and Castlegar.
Related:
