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COVID-19 confirmed at Delta long-term care facility

Fraser Health says staff member at Delta View Care Centre diagnosed; no additional transmission so far
21033743_web1_200322-NDR-M-Delta-View-Care-Centre-Google-Street-View
Delta View Care Centre (Google Street View image)

A staff member at a Delta long-term care facility has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Fraser Health says one staff member at the Good Samaritan Canada-owned Delta View Care Centre has been diagnosed with COVID-19, and that as of Saturday evening no additional transmission of the virus has occurred.

Fraser Health says comprehensive control measures have been put in place at Delta View, and staff at the centre have been directed not to work at any other facility.

As well, a supplemental work and transition (SWAT) team, which includes an infection control practitioner, a public health officer, a clinical support officer and a patient care quality officer, has been deployed to rapidly address quality and communication issues and actively check symptoms in staff and residents.

The health authority said it is also implementing several measure in partnership with B.C.’s Ministry of Health, including:

• Temporarily suspending inter-facility transfers, except in circumstances of intolerable risk, and ensuring clients’ place on the wait list for transfer is maintained during the suspension

• Prioritizing admissions to long-term care from acute care over those from the community, where possible

• Temporarily suspending all health authority operated/funded home and community care (HCC) adult day programs

• Temporarily suspending the provision of in-facility respite, except in circumstances of intolerable risk

Fraser Health will also issue a public health order to all licensed long-term care facilities in the region to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19 in long-term care homes and protect the health of vulnerable seniors. The order will include:

• Restricting visitors to only “essential visits” through single controlled entrance points where a screening person is present

• Screening all visitors, including contractors, prior to entering a facility

• Actively screening all staff and residents twice daily for symptoms

• Restricting all symptomatic staff and essential visitors from entering facilities

• Immediately isolating and testing all symptomatic residents

• Training all staff and residents on infection control guidelines and how to adhere to them

• Ceasing all group activities in the facility and in the community

• Performing enhanced cleaning twice a day

• Maximizing separation of residents while dinning

• Requiring facilities prepare staffing plans to ensure ongoing patient care

• Requiring all facilities submit an implementation plan that prohibits long-term care staff and volunteers (with the exception of physicians, paramedics and laboratory technicians) from working at more than one healthcare facility

• Requiring facilities proactively plan and prepare for adequate supplies

Fraser Health says it will be actively monitoring compliance of the public health order by having an on-site presence across all of its long-term care facilities.

Saturday’s announcement came a day after the health authority confirmed a healthcare worker at Dufferin Care Centre in Coquitlam had also tested positive for the virus. So far COVID-19 has been found at five long-term care facilities in the Lower Mainland, including Lynn Valley Care Centre (where nine of the 10 coronavirus-related deaths in B.C. have occurred), Hollyburn House in West Vancouver and Haro Park Centre in Vancouver.

As of Saturday, B.C. had 424 cases of COVID-19: 126 in Fraser Health, 230 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 37 in Vancouver Island Health, 27 in Interior Health and four in Northern Health.

Of those who have tested positive for the disease, 27 people are currently in hospital, with 12 people in intensive care. Six people have fully recovered.

— with files from Ashley Wadhwani

READ MORE: More than 400 COVID-19 cases, 10 deaths in B.C. (March 21, 2020)

RELATED: ‘We need to do more’: Fraser Health doctors send dire letter to Dr. Bonnie Henry (March 21, 2020)

SEE ALSO: Not time for state of emergency, Trudeau says, but Parliament asked to pass COVID-19 aid (March 22, 2020)



editor@northdeltareporter.com

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James Smith

About the Author: James Smith

James Smith is the founding editor of the North Delta Reporter.
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