A COVID-19 outbreak at the Langley Memorial Hospital (LMH) acute care facility has claimed 10 lives, the Fraser Health Authority (FHA) confirmed on Monday, Dec. 14.
In total, there have been 27 patients and 16 staff cases associated with the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Our sincere condolences to those who have lost loved ones due to COVID-19,” the FHA statement said.
COVID-negative patients who present to Langley Memorial Hospital and require care may be transferred to other Fraser Health hospitals, the authority said.
All “urgent, emergent, cancer, and daycare surgeries” will continue.
Elective procedures that require a stay in hospital will be rescheduled when the COVID-19 outbreak has been declared over.
Patients who require care in the Mental Health, Critical Care, Maternity or Pediatric units can be admitted to LMH if they require that level of care.
The outbreak was first reported on Nov. 5, at which time a single staff member had tested positive and the unit was temporarily closed to admissions.
A separate outbreak in the hospital’s long-term care unit was declared by Fraser Health on Nov. 18, with nine staff cases. There were no resident cases or deaths, and the outbreak was declared over Monday.
Two residents at Fort Langley Seniors Community tested positive for COVID-19, the FHA reported on Friday, Nov. 6.
READ ALSO: LMH, Fort Langley seniors facility hit with new COVID outbreaks
On Tuesday, Dec. 15, Fraser Health has declared a new outbreak at Burnaby Hospital. Three patients at the hospital have tested positive for COVID-19in the medicine unit, which is temporarily closed to admissions.
The hospital, including the Emergency Department, remains “fully operational,” an FHA statement said.
Fraser Health has notified all patients on the affected unit about the outbreak and, in addition, has informed the families of patients who are unable to share this information. Burnaby Hospital is working with essential visitors to the affected unit on a case-by-case basis.
Langley has had 1,315 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, a little less than one per cent of the total population of the City and Township combined.
READ MORE: More than 1,300 confirmed COVID cases in Langley since March
Fraser Health said 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.
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.
dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
