VANCOUVER Coastal Health is restricting visitors to essential visits only at all of our facilities including its hospitals, community, long-term care, assisted living sites, community health centres and clinics.

Essential visits include:

• Compassionate care (e.g. end of life, critical illness);

• Visits paramount to patient/client/resident care and well-being, such as assistance with feeding or mobility;

• Existing registered volunteers providing services related to the above.

Additional measures for long term care homes can be found here.

Visitors who are unwell with cold or flu-like symptoms cannot visit patients, residents or clients in any VCH facility.

“We understand the importance of visits from family and loved ones to our patients and long-term care residents and we appreciate your support in helping to keep everyone safe during these unprecedented times,” says VCH.

“We ask the public to also do their part, which includes staying home when you are sick and social distancing –staying at least two metres away from others – to help reduce virus transmission.”

Vancouver Coastal Health is working in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) to respond to COVID-19. The situation is evolving quickly and VCH has measures in place to keep its patient, clients, residents, staff, and physicians safe.

For more information on COVID-19 and steps being taken to reduce its impact, visit www.vch.ca/covid19.