Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) officials are asking the public to refrain from visiting Totem Lodge in Sechelt for the duration of a flu outbreak at the residential care facility.
“They’ve asked people not to come and visit at this time, just as part of their precautions, because they don’t want it to spread,” Anna Marie D’Angelo, senior media relations officer for VCH, said Tuesday.
The medical health officer declared the outbreak at Totem Lodge on Jan. 5 after a handful of the 49 residents came down with flu-like symptoms.
Since then, D’Angelo said, the facility has taken infection control precautions such as increased housekeeping and extra gloving and masking.
“The precautions come off when everyone is symptom-free for at least two or three days,” she said.
Since Christmas, outbreaks have also been declared at five health-care facilities on the Lower Mainland, most recently at Richmond General Hospital on Jan. 8.
“It is not unusual for this to happen during flu season,” D’Angelo said.
To check on the status of current outbreaks, go to www.vch.ca/your_stay/infection-control/outbreaks.
