NORTH VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lynn Valley Care Centre (LVCC) today announced that it is embarking on a post-pandemic recovery plan, following the COVID-19 outbreak that impacted the Centre in early March. This follows the news on May 4, when LVCC wad declared COVID-19 free by the Medical Health Officer at Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), and the outbreak was deemed to be over at the facility.
“While we are relieved to see the end of the COVID-19 outbreak and to be virus free, our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to those we lost, as well as their families and loved ones,” said Betty Wills, Director of Care at LVCC.
Over the last three months, the team at LVCC worked tirelessly on the challenging task of providing care and helping residents and their families through this pandemic. LVCC’s actions were based on the direction determined in daily meetings with members of the Public Health Office at VCH and VCH’s Residential Management department, along with LVCC’s Leadership Group which includes the managers of all of LVCC’s contracted service providers.
This response team was mobilized, and outbreak containment protocols were instituted, immediately after LVCC was informed by VCH on March 5, that one if its staff members was infected with COVID-19. The response team worked diligently to review the medical conditions of LVCC’s residents, as well as the Centre’s infection control protocols, staffing and supply needs, and also worked on organizing testing for residents and staff presenting with symptoms of COVID-19.
“While staff at our facility are hired through different companies, we work together as a family. We are immensely grateful to the work they have done. We take our responsibility of care very seriously and we are deeply saddened by the devastation this pandemic left in its wake. We are relieved to see that 32 of our residents and all our team members have recovered from COVID-19,” added Wills.
The Centre has been strictly adhering to all safety, social distancing and enhanced cleaning protocols; has stepped up its vigilance, as well as its testing and tracing; and is actively taking steps to prevent COVID-19 from returning.
LVCC is working with staff, residents and their families and loved ones, on recovering from this tragedy and enhancing its systems, processes as well as the Centre’s preparedness, to ready it, especially if a second wave of COVID-19 occurs.
“Our focus moving forward is on ensuring our systems and processes are ready to handle any future outbreaks. We are taking a closer look at contingency planning and mitigation strategies following this pandemic,” said Wills.
LVCC has been serving the North Shore community for decades, and plans to continue to do so for many years to come. The Centre expresses its sincere gratitude and appreciation for the outpouring of support it received from the community during this gruelling time.
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