In consultation with the Region of Waterloo Public Health, a COVID-19 outbreak has been declared in Cambridge Memorial Hospital's Medicine B Unit (Wing C, level 4).
A hospital outbreak is declared when two or more patients and/or staff test positive for an infectious illness that was acquired in hospital within a time frame that is consistent with the epidemiology of the disease, and when there is a link between the cases.
At this time, the outbreak is limited to two patients.
The hospital working in the outbreak unit are required to have a negative rapid antigen test daily before work. This includes staff that have worked on Medicine B since the outbreak has been declared and are scheduled in another unit. These precautions have been added to enhance safety:
- Masks to be used by staff at all times while in the unit; face shields to be worn within two meters of patients
- All patients will be placed in airborne/droplet/contact precautions
- Enhanced surveillance by swabbing and testing non-infected patients every three days until the outbreak is declared over.
- Enhanced cleaning, especially to high touch areas.
- Visitors are restricted to the unit except in end-of-life situations. Virtual visits and phone connections for patients and families can be arranged.
- Signage has been posted at entrances
The outbreak may be declared over on October 5 if no new cases arise.
The safety and wellbeing of our staff, providers and patients is our top priority. Continue to wear the appropriate PPE as a new, highly transmissible variant has proven that anyone can be infectious, even when a person is asymptomatic. Practice physical distancing, wear PPE and continue to practice hand hygiene for the safety of all.
Last week, the region reported 55 new cases of COVID-19 in its weekly summary. That's a seven-day moving rate of rate of 1.3 per 100,000.
There are six active outbreaks in high risk settings, which include long-term care homes, congregant setting sna hospitals.
There were 23 hospitalizations reported last week, up from 15 reported a week earlier.
