Vancouver Coastal Health is restricting visitors to essential visits only at the hospital.
The restriction will also apply to long-term care homes, assisted living sites, community health centres and clinics.
The essential visits include: Compassionate care that is end of life or for critical illness, visits for assistance with feeding or mobility, and visits from registered volunteers.
Visitors who are unwell with cold or flu-like symptoms cannot visit patients, residents or clients in any VCH facility.
“We ask the public to also do their part, which includes staying home when you are sick and social distancing –staying at least two metres away from others – to help reduce virus transmission,” VCH said.
VCH will also prohibit long-term care staff and volunteers from working at more than one health care facility, with the exception of physicians, paramedics and laboratory technicians.
Long-term care facilities will also deny access to all visitors, with the limited exception of the immediate family members and spiritual advisors of residents who are at the end of their lives.
Resident transfers between health care facilities are also prohibited and all group social activities will be cancelled.