In a release on Friday, November 13, 2020 at 4:55 p.m. Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit declared a “facility-wide outbreak at Northumberland Hills Hospital.
“The outbreak was declared today (November 13, 2020) after a second staff person tested positive for COVID-19. NHH announced the first confirmed case in a staff person on November 11.”
“Based on provincial guidance, the facility-wide outbreak was declared after it was determined the exposure for the second case could have been the hospital.”
Northumberland Hills Hospital issued a media release shortly after at 5:16 p.m. stating, “Second positive case of COVID-19 confirmed among NHH staff, outbreak declared.”
The release stated, “a second Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) staff member has tested positive for COVID-19. The individual was working in the hospital on Thursday night (November 5-6), Saturday night (November 7-8) and Sunday night (November 8-9) and attended the hospital briefly between the hours of approximately 4 PM and 5:30 PM on Friday, November 6. As with the first positive case, the individual is now at home on self-isolation.
When the staff member tested positive, the release by the hospital stated, “Linda Davis, President and CEO. “The risk of exposure is considered low. Case and contact tracing is now completed and no other COVID-19 cases have been detected among the patient population or hospital team at this time.”
The release on Friday said as per the provincial guidance documents, this second case has prompted the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit to declare a facility-wide outbreak at the hospital. Under province guidelines, an outbreak is to be declared at a hospital when there are two or more confirmed cases, and it is determined the exposure occurred at the facility.
Although the Health Unit’s release didn’t have any comments attributed to the Medical Officer of Health for the region, the release by Northumberland Hills Hospital does have comments from the regions Medical Officer of Health.
“Although we have not seen many cases in our area like some areas of the province, we are starting to experience an increase,” says Dr. Lynn Noseworthy, Medical Officer of Health for the HKPR District Health Unit. “This is especially troubling, given we are moving into the holiday season and winter months when we typically see respiratory illness create burdens for our health care system and partners.”
As part of the outbreak, staff from NHH are working closely with the Health Unit to ensure all outbreak control measures are implemented.
“It remains safe to attend the hospital for care as required,” said Linda Davis, President and CEO. “Our Occupational Health and Safety office is working closely with local public health colleagues and regional infectious disease experts to minimize any risk. Contact tracing is in progress for any patients, staff and physicians who may have come into contact with the individual and instructions on any actions required will be made directly by local Public Health and/or NHH Occupational Health/Infection Prevention and Control.
Anyone who may have come into contact with the individual has been or will soon be notified with instructions to self-monitor for any symptoms and, as directed, self-isolate and seek testing. A small number of inpatients have been isolated as a precaution and enhanced cleaning of the areas of the hospital where the individual was working has been completed.
At a staff forum earlier today staff members and physicians were once again reminded of the importance of continuing to adhere to the appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) at all time, to stay home from work if feeling ill and to seek testing as appropriate.
There are no changes to service delivery at NHH at this time, but, effectively immediately, volunteer activity within the hospital will once again be paused. Until today NHH was permitting one visitor per day per patient to all inpatients and outpatients. Effective today, the NHH COVID-19 Visitor Policy will return to essential visitors only, specifically: patients who are palliative or end-of-life; a support for a delivering mother; a parent/guardian of a child; or, a caregiver deemed essential for an individual with a specific need, at the discretion of the care team.
“Other actions, including the strict enforcement of appropriate personal protective equipment at all times, the closure of the Main Street Bistro to visitors, the stopping of self-service within the cafeteria for staff/physicians and the temporary postponement of in-person education has been initiated today, in order to make every effort to minimize non-essential person-to-person contact,” said Davis.
To help combat further spread, Dr. Noseworthy urges everyone to follow the public health guidelines of wearing a mask, washing hands frequently, maintaining physical distancing and staying home if ill.
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit has declared the following outbreak over:
Warkworth Place – Warkworth, Ontario This outbreak was declared on October 29 after one symptomatic staff person tested positive for COVID-19. The Health Unit declared the outbreak over on November 13, 2020.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
