North Peace Health Facilities Hit By Flu

By 250 News

Northern Health has given the ’all-clear’ at a senior’s care home in Pouce Coupe hit by the norovirus, but visitor restrictions have now been imposed on the nearby Dawson Creek and District Hospital.

Visiting restrictions and increased infection control measures have been put in place on the east wing of the second floor of the hospital, due to a gastrointestinal illness affecting the facility’s medical unit.

The illness first surfaced on Tuesday and has, so far, affected five patients and two staff members.

Northern Health has sent specimens to the BC Centre for Disease Control in order to identify the organism responsible for the outbreak. While norovirus is suspected, the cases at Dawson Creek and District Hospital are not considered to be related to a confirmed outbreak of norovirus at Pouce Coupe Care Home that first surfaced February 10th.

Residents and staff at the care home have now been symptom-free for more than 72-hours.

Northern Health says this has been a peak year for the illness, and it has been prevalent in the general population of communities throughout the north, and province-wide.

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