Interior Health has declared a COVID outbreak in the medical ward at Kootenay Lake Hospital in Nelson.
So far the outbreak, declared Thursday, has seen five patient cases but no staff affected.
The health authority says social visits have been paused, but essential visitors, palliative and end-of-life visits are still permitted.
Non-essential visits were also restricted at the hospital for a few days in May to manage potential COVID-19 exposures, but an outbreak was not formally declared at that time.
There are two other COVID outbreaks at long-term care facilities in the Okanagan.
An outbreak at Talarico Place in Castlegar was declared ended on Aug. 16 after 36 residents were infected and two people died.
