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UPDATED: Three more COVID-19 cases confirmed at this Coquitlam care home

Fraser Health says it is implementing health measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19, third shots are also being offered
Kyle Balzer
Kyle Balzer
DufferinCareCentreCoquitlam
A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at Dufferin Care Centre in Coquitlam after four cases of the virus were confirmed as of Nov. 10, 2021.Stefan Labbé, Glacier Media

For the third time in two years, a COVID-19 outbreak has been issued for Dufferin Care Centre.

As of this past weekend, Fraser Health is reporting seven lab-confirmed cases for the virus at the Coquitlam retirement community.

Two more residents have tested positive, for a total of five, and an additional staff person has a confirmed case, bringing the number of staff cases to two.

In all there are seven cases at the Coquitlam care home.

And while it's not known if residents have received a third dose of vaccine, Fraser Health reports that "Everyone in long-term care and assisted living across the Fraser Health region has been offered a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine."

Booster shots were first offered to long-term care and assisted living residents in October.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, six known residents of Dufferin Care Centre have died following complications with COVID-19.

Four were during the first outbreak among 24 total infections found when it was declared over in May 2020 — the largest outbreak of the virus at the time across the Tri-Cities and lasted for two months.

The second outbreak lasted for a month ending in April 2021, but resulted in the deaths of two residents and 16 total cases of COVID-19.

Fraser Health says it's working with Dufferin Care Centre to implement enhanced control measures and to find anyone else who may have been exposed, including residents, staff and extended family members.

The health measures are as follows: 

  • Staffing levels are being supported to maintain resident care
  • Social visits are restricted in the affected areas of the facility 
    • Fraser Health says essential visits can continue
  • Staff and residents movement in the affected areas of the facility has been modified to minimize exposure to others
  • Cleaning and infection control measures have been further enhanced
  • Residents, families and staff are being notified
  • Twice a day screening of all staff and residents is taking place
  • Additional testing and screening is in place to support monitoring of disease control

Dufferin Care Centre is a Coquitlam long-term facility owned and operated by Retirement Concepts.