A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared on the fifth floor of the Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre (Segal Centre) at Vancouver General Hospital after two clients tested positive for COVID-19.
The unit is closed to new admissions and transfers at this time. All non-essential visits to the Segal Centre have been suspended until the outbreak measures have been lifted; the exception being for compassionate visits at the end of life.
Vancouver Coastal Health has immediately implemented strict infection prevention and control protocols to prevent further transmission of COVID-19. These include:
Careful monitoring of patients, staff and physicians
Enhanced cleaning and disinfection of all high-touch surfaces
Closing the units to patient admissions and transfers
Cohorting of staff to the affected areas
Self-monitoring or self-isolation of staff/physicians as part of Public Health contact tracing
Suspension of visitors to the unit (with exemptions for end-of-life situations)
The decision reverses a recommendation made by the body two weeks ago when the panel of vaccine experts said AstraZeneca hadn't included enough people over the age of 65 in its clinical trials.
Infectious disease doctor Zain Chagla says it's an important message, but confusing for Canadians as Germany and other European countries move to limit the vaccine's use while they investigate reports of blood clots emerging after some inoculations.
Police said a 17-year-old female student was violently assaulted Monday morning in a classroom at Christ the King School in Leduc, just south of Edmonton.
