Fraser Health declares COVID-19 outbreaks over at Burnaby Hospital and Amica White Rock; declares outbreaks at Agassiz Seniors Community, Hilton Villa Seniors Community, St. Michael’s Centre, and Regent Christian Academy

Acute:

Fraser Health has declared the COVID-19 outbreak over at Burnaby Hospital. 

Upon declaring the outbreak on November 9^th, Fraser Health immediately implemented precautions, including enhanced cleaning, as well as contact tracing to protect the health of all staff, medical staff, and patients. With the implementation of comprehensive strategies, there is no longer an outbreak.

Long term care:

Fraser Health has declared a COVID-19 outbreak over at Amica White Rock in South Surrey. With the implementation of comprehensive strategies to prevent and respond to COVID-19 in long term care and assisted living facilities, there are no longer any COVID-19 cases at this location.

One resident and three staff members at Agassiz Seniors Community, one resident and one staff member at Hilton Villa Seniors Community, and two residents and two staff members at St. Michael’s Centre have tested positive for COVID-19. Fraser Health has declared outbreaks at all three sites, and a Fraser Health rapid response team is at each site. Communication with residents and families is underway.

Agassiz Seniors Community in Agassiz and Hilton Villa Seniors Community in Surrey are long term care facilities that are owned and operated by Park Place Seniors Living. St. Michael’s Centre is a long term care facility in Burnaby that is owned and operated by St. Michael’s Centre Hospital Society.

Fraser Health has worked with each site to support the implementation of enhanced control measures. Fraser Health is also working with each site to identify anyone who may have been exposed and is taking steps to protect the health of all staff, residents and families.

Fraser Health has worked with the sites to proactively implement the following:

• Staffing levels will be supported to maintain resident care.

• Visitors are restricted throughout the facility.

• Staff and residents movement in the facility has been restricted.

• Cleaning and infection control measures have been enhanced.

• Residents, families and staff are being notified.

• Twice a day screening of all staff and residents.

During this time, Fraser Health has additional presence at the site to take any further actions required and support the facility. This includes dedicated people to address quality, answer questions from staff, residents and family, and provide active checks of symptoms with staff and residents.

Fraser Health has, in partnership with long term care and assisted living facilities, implemented comprehensive strategies to prevent and respond to COVID-19 in these facilities. In addition, Fraser Health has also deployed care staff and our rapid-response teams which include clinical nurse educators, infection prevention and control experts, screeners, and patient care quality officers supporting with communication to families and assessing symptoms at sites with outbreaks. Through these teams, sites are also connected with emergency supplies and support strategies around additional personnel if needed.

Schools:

Fraser Health has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Regent Christian Academy in Surrey after 30 COVID-19-positive cases were identified. As a precautionary measure to respond to this outbreak, the school will be closing and switching to remote learning until December 18^th, when the school would have closed for the holidays, in order to break any chains of COVID-19 transmission that may be present at the school.

In a school environment, if a student or teacher receives a confirmed positive COVID-19 test result, Fraser Health Public Health follows a rigorous protocol:

• Contact tracing is initiated to determine how the individual was infected and who they were in close contact with in order to advise for self-monitoring or isolation.

• Public Health staff works closely with the school throughout the case and contact management process to maintain close communication with the school community.

For more information about COVID-19 school exposures in the Fraser Health region, please visit fraserhealth.ca/schoolexposures.

At this time, it is critically important for people living in the Fraser Health region to use the COVID-19 assessment tool and get tested as soon as you have COVID-19-like symptoms, even mild ones. Please don’t wait, and book or drop by one of our collection centres which are operated in partnership with local Divisions of Family Practice. People living in the Fraser Health region can find information about test collection centres by visiting Fraser Health’s website.

To book a COVID-19 testing appointment, complete a COVID-19 test booking form.

For more information about COVID-19, please visit fraserhealth.ca/covid19.