'Outbreak precautions' at Lions Gate Hospital with least 6 COVID-19 infections

Hospital dealing with COVID-19 outbreak 24-DCE-JM-Patients and staff at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Vancouver — Three patients and three staff members at Lions Gate Hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 with test results anticipated for other patients and staff in self-isolation and who may have had contact with them.

Vancouver Coastal Health sent out a memo to staff about the outbreak, saying while personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn during direct contact with patients, they will be undertaking more containment measures in the wake of the outbreak including enhanced cleaning, restricted access to outbreak wards and self-isolation for certain staff.

“This unfortunate situation is a reminder that we need to be unrelenting in our proper use of PPE and our monitoring of patients regardless of the unit that they reside on,” said the memo from Karin Olson, chief operating officer for VCH. “While we have been flattening the curve somewhat in B.C., as Dr. Bonnie Henry has continued to tell us, we all need to remain vigilant – and in our case, hyper-vigilant – in our infection control practices, both as individuals and as an organization.

When asked about the outbreak at Thursday’s COVID-19 press update, the provincial health officer said she had few details at that time.

“I know it is in a separate ward from COVID ward,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, promising that more information would be available later.

The bulletin to staff has a section in bold reading, “If you observe patients with respiratory symptoms, please isolate the patient immediately, swab them and alert IPAC.”

Lions Gate Hospital was the site of a smaller outbreak last month when three administrative staff tested positive for the virus.