The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has confirmed two cases of COVID-19 at a West Vancouver care home.
A resident at Hollyburn House tested positive for COVID-19 and has been isolated and is receiving treatment. An employee was detected through the active screening process and is now at home in self-isolation.
“We have implemented full pandemic protocols across our Canadian operations. In British Columbia, we have been actively screening for COVID-19 since this past weekend,” reads a statement from Revera Inc., which operates Hollyburn House.
“Active screening takes place at a single entrance point at all Revera long term care homes and retirement residences. Every person entering a residence or home is asked about potential symptoms of COVID-19 (new onset cough, difficulty breathing, fever) and travel history to the most recent list of affected countries.”
Hollyburn Homes is requiring to take the temperature of guests, staff and residents to identify possible fever. Anyone who fails any part of the screening process will be asked to reschedule their visit and to contact their local telehealth provider or health provider.
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“We remain vigilant in our efforts and are doing everything we can to protect the health and safety of our residents, families, employees, volunteers, suppliers, service providers and all other visitors,” the statement reads.
The B.C. government introduced strict measures on Wednesday around care homes including mandatory enhanced screening of visitors.
“I won’t say stopping of visitors, but restriction of visitors, making sure that nobody comes in that has any respiratory infection,” Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said.
“Making sure that we don’t do things like have group sessions where people are interacting with multiple people. You go and you visit your own family member.”
The one confirmed COVID-19 death in British Columbia involved a resident at the Lynn Valley Care Centre.
There have been multiple confirmed cases of the virus at the care centre, including two additional health-care workers announced on Wednesday. The cases include a man in his 20s who lives in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, and a woman in her 50s who is in the Fraser Health region.
Both of them are recovering in isolation at home.
“The respective health authorities are doing their investigations to determine if there’s any additional close contacts,” Henry said. “Other than that, things have settled and are still being monitored very closely at the care centre. In particular, residents are being monitored every day, as are the health-care workers.”
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