COVID-19 Information

Wednesday, July 28, 2021 - As of midnight on July 29, 2021 in the Central Okanagan masks will be required in all indoor facilities, and non-essential travel will be discouraged to those who do not yet have both vaccine doses. The Central Okanagan has seen a spike in Covid-19 cases. Outdoor events are encouraged over indoor events and any indoor event should not exceed 50% capacity or a maximum of 50 people. People will still be able to visit restaurants, pubs and gyms, but should not be socializing among tables. Good hand hygiene is encouraged along with maintaining a safe social distance.

WFN is encouraging everyone to get vaccinated with both doses if they haven't done so already. The dose interval between vaccines has been decreased to 28 days and there are multiple pop-up vaccine clinics available in the region.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present various challenges to our community. We ask that you wear a mask, adhere to social distancing when in public, socialize only with your immediate household while indoors, and not travel outside of the region. The vaccination process is underway, however COVID-19 continues to impact us all. A positive diagnosis can happen to anyone, anytime, anyplace. COVID-19 does not discriminate and occurs most frequently when public health measures are not followed. Please report breaches of Provincial Health Orders by contacting WFN Law Enforcement at 250-717-6147, or the West Kelowna RCMP Detachment at 250-768-2880. Stay aware, stay informed, and remember that we are all in this together.

WFN's COVID-19 Response Overview

Vaccines

Member-Only Information

March 10, 2021 Video Update to WFN Membership (Including Member Vaccine Clinics)

Available Resources

PROVINCIAL VACCINE RESOURCES

FEDERAL VACCINE RESOURCES

FNHA - FACTS ABOUT
THE COVID-19 VACCINE

Q+A's

1. How long does it take to develop immunity against COVID-19 once you have received the vaccine?

Immunity after the first dose was seen 10-14 days following the first dose of the vaccine. Maximal immune response was seen 7 days after the second dose of the vaccine.

2. What is the minimum age to receive the vaccine?

On May 5th, 2021, Health Canada approved the minimum age to receive the Pfizer vaccine has recently been lowered to include the 12-17 age group. The health team is planning on holding a vaccination clinic to include the community members who are now eligible dependent on vaccine supply. WFN is following all provincial eligibility guidelines and will continue to update as new information becomes available.

3. Are there any contraindications to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine?

The only contraindication to receiving the vaccine is a history of anaphylactic reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine or to any component of the vaccine.

4. Can pregnant and/or breastfeeding individuals receive the vaccine?

The Canadian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (SOGC), the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) and public health experts in B.C. all agree that people who are pregnant and breastfeeding can get the vaccine.

There is currently no known specific serious risk (such as an increased risk of miscarriage or possible birth defect) of getting a COVID-19 vaccine while pregnant or breastfeeding to either the person being vaccinated or the child.

There is no need to avoid starting or stopping breastfeeding if you get the vaccine.

COVID-19 infection can make you very ill and symptoms can be worse if you are pregnant. BCCDC states that if you are infected with COVID-19 and are pregnant, you are three times more likely to end up in the intensive care unit (ICU) than those infected with COVID-19 who are not pregnant.

5. When will second dose clinics be held?

Currently the provincial recommendation is 4 months between doses, the health team is planning second dose clinics for the end of June/early July. If you received your first dose at our clinics, we will be contacting you to book your second dose.

6. Why should I get the vaccine?

It protects, it is safe, and it is effective.

WFN Vaccination Strategy

FNHA are responsible to provide the vaccines to WFN, and WFN has no control over when vaccines will be received or the amount of vaccines that will be received.

WFN's Vaccination Strategy is available here

COVID-19 Information

Q+A's

1. What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to other respiratory illnesses including Influenza and the common cold.

The most common symptoms include:

Fever, Chills, Cough or worsening chronic cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose, loss of sense of smell or taste, headache, fatigue, diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, or muscle aches.

Less common symptoms include:

Stuffy nose, conjunctivitis (pink eye), dizziness, confusion, abdominal pain, skin rashes, or discoloration of fingers or toes.

Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Sometimes people with COVID-19 have mild illness, but their symptoms may suddenly worsen in a few days.

2. What is self-monitoring vs. self-isolation?

Self-monitoring: Monitor your health and the health of your children for symptoms such as fever, cough or difficulty breathing. Individuals who are self-monitoring are allowed to attend work and school and take part in regular activities.

Self-isolation: You must stay at home, in a hotel or similar place, and avoid all contact with others.

Self-isolation is one important way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in B.C. and is used to lower the chance of spreading infectious germs to other people by avoiding situations where someone could infect others. People at high-risk of having been exposed to COVID-19 are asked to self-isolate as there is a small chance you can spread germs in the days before you feel sick. A number of groups of people including international travellers returning to Canada, contacts of a COVID-19 case, and people with symptoms or who are positive for COVID-19 are required to self-isolate

3. What is the incubation period of COVID-19?

At this time, the available information suggests the incubation period is up to 14 days. The incubation period is the time from when a person is first exposed until symptoms appear.‎

4. Can ibuprofen make COVID-19 symptoms worse?

There is no current evidence that ibuprofen makes COVID-19 worse. Ibuprofen is part of a group of medicines called NSAIDs and includes brand names like Advil and Motrin. These medicines help with pain, fever or inflammation. Acetaminophen, which includes brand names like Tylenol, also helps with fever. If you take ibuprofen to treat another condition, you should continue taking it. To treat symptoms like fever, we recommend first using acetaminophen. If it isn’t available, you can use ibuprofen as an alternative.

5. Have any COVID-19 variants been detected in British Columbia?

COVID-19 variants first detected in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Nigeria have been found in BC by public health researchers. As of now, these variants are not the most common form of COVID-19 in the province. More information may be discovered as research by the province continues.