COVID-19 outbreak declared at Richmond Hospital

Vancouver Coastal Health declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Richmond Hospital Thursday evening.

At least one staff member on the 4 North Acute Care elderly unit has tested positive for the virus, triggering the health authority’s threshold to declare an outbreak.

“While the outbreak is contained to the 4 North unit, the unit will remain closed to new admissions and transfers at this time,” VCH said in a news release.

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Visits to the affected unit have been suspended, with the exception of compassionate ones near the end of a patient’s life.

There is no evidence of transmission at the hospital so far, and VCH says Richmond Hospital remains open for emergency room visits and admissions.