While there were no Norovirus outbreaks in the Richmond Community of Care at the time of this posting, cases of Norovirus affecting patients and staff have been confirmed across VCH both in acute care and long term care settings.
Yesterday, Dr. Kendall, B.C.’s provincial health officer, stated publicly that Norovirus cases are on the rise this year. We have already experienced this with an increase in admissions through our emergency department, increasing the risk of cross-transmission in our facilities. This news and recent events across VCH highlight the need for us to take extra precautions at all our facilities and in all departments — clinical and corporate.
The following outlines immediate action we need to take to prevent the spread of Norovirus.
Required action to prevent transmission
Please note that the following actions apply to Richmond Hospital, Minoru Residence and Richmond Lions Manor.
- Food availability and storage: Some cases have been directly linked to food sharing. For that reason, we ask all staff to ensure there is no open food on our units — including the staff lounge — and in our corporate departments. In addition, the following steps must be taken:
- Discard all open food: Effective immediately, all shared food on units and in corporate departments must be discarded (e.g. chips, chocolates, pastries).
- Empty staff and visitor fridges: We require all staff and visitor fridges to be emptied by Monday morning and ask that you assign someone to this task. This includes fridges in both clinical and corporate departments. Aramark will disinfect the interiors and exteriors of fridges starting Monday at noon. Staff may resume using their fridge for daily meals following disinfection.
- Unit kitchens for families and visitors: While visitors may bring food for patients, they cannot leave behind food on the unit or store food in the kitchen. Staff can still provide hot water/tea to visitors and patients.
- Illness: If you experience Norovirus symptoms including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, we want you to focus on getting well and help us prevent transmission. Report your illness by calling the Absence Call Line at 1-866-924-4297. Call the Workplace Health Call Centre (WHCC) to provide your details over the phone. The WHCC can be reached at 1-866-922-9464 (toll-free). Hours of operation are Monday-Friday 0700-1700. After-hours messages can be left on voice mail. We ask that you do not return to work until 48 hours after your symptoms resolve. Food handlers (including healthcare workers who feed patients) are requested not to return until 72 hours after the resolution of all symptoms.
- Hand Hygiene: Our best defense against viruses and antibiotic-resistant bacterium remain frequent and thorough hand washing. Staff, as well as patients and visitors, are asked to adhere to strict hand washing directives. As Norovirus is prevalent throughout the community, please observe precautions at home to protect yourself, your family and your coworkers
- Safety huddles: Regular safety huddles should cover detection of GI symptoms, isolation and transmission precautions. Infection control will be supporting units with ongoing education sessions.
- Staying informed: To ensure you have timely access to the latest information, we ask you to read your VCH email on a regular basis. Thank you for doing all you can to help us prevent the spread of Norovirus.
Related links: Influenza Outbreak at Minoru Residence