By Canadian Press

Newborn care unit at Vancouver hospital shut down by COVID-19 outbreak

Jul 17, 2020 | 12:15 PM

VANCOUVER — A newborn intensive care unit at a Vancouver hospital is the site of the latest COVID-19 outbreak in B.C.

Vancouver Coastal Health, which administers health-care services for much of Greater Vancouver, issued a notice about the outbreak Thursday.

The bulletin covers the neo-natal intensive care unit at St. Paul’s hospital in downtown Vancouver.

Providence Health, which operates the hospital, said in a statement that the outbreak was declared when transmission was identified.

It says several patients and their families traced as potential contacts are in isolation and are being monitored by public health.

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Providence says a satellite unit has been set up to continue treating premature or special-needs babies while the primary unit is sanitized.

New protocols have also been put into place, which include requiring parents visiting their babies in the unit to wear a mask and sign a visitor log.

The statement doesn’t say if the outbreak is linked to staff or patients at the unit, or how many cases have been reported.

B.C. has confirmed 3,170 cases of COVID-19, with 21 new cases reported Thursday and no new deaths.

This report by The Canadian Press was first reported July 17, 2020.

The Canadian Press