Newborn care unit at Vancouver hospital shut down by COVID-19 outbreak

A newborn intensive care unit at a Vancouver hospital is the site of the latest COVID-19 outbreak in the city.

Vancouver Coastal Health, which administers health care services for much of Greater Vancouver region and the inner south and central coasts, issued a notice about the outbreak Thursday.

The outbreak covers the neo-natal intensive care unit at St. Paul's hospital in downtown Vancouver.

The agency did not say if the outbreak is related to staff or patients at the unit, or how many cases have been reported.

Officials with the health authority say a satellite unit has been set up to continue treating premature or special needs babies while the primary unit is sanitized.

To date, B.C. has confirmed 3,170 cases of COVID-19, with 21 new cases reported Thursday and no new deaths.