By Cecilia Nasmith
The good news came in a joint press release from Northumberland Hills Hospital and the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit – the COVID-19 outbreak at NHH is at an end.
The outbreak was declared Nov. 13 after two symptomatic staff tested positive and preliminary information indicated the second case came from exposure at the hospital.
“Additional investigation has revealed information that the exposure site may have been outside of the hospital setting,” the announcement said.
“As a result, the health unit has declared the outbreak at Northumberland Hills Hospital over and no further COVID-19 transmission has been identified among staff and patients.”
NHH president and chief executive officer Linda Davis applauded the significant efforts of the health unit and the hospital's own Infection Prevention and Control teams in making the determination.
“I want to thank these teams for their diligence, and our regional infectious-disease experts for their valued advice,” Davis said in the press release.
“I also want to express our gratitude to the patients, families and staff who supported the investigation. Today's decision was made possible by the additional information gathered, and the fact that no further confirmed positive cases have been identified among staff, physicians or patients, despite extensive surveillance testing.”
Out of an abundance of caution, NHH will remain closed to all but essential visitors (specifically, for palliative and end-of-life patients and for delivering mothers, as well as a child's parent or guardian or a caregiver deemed essential for an individual with a specific need, at the discretion of the care team).
Other protocols include the strict enforcement of personal protective equipment at all times, closure of the Main Street Bistro to visitors (and the cessation of self-service otherwise) and the temporary postponement of in-person education.
The bulletin stressed that there remain no changes to service delivery at NHH, and that the hospital is safe to attend for care as required.
As COVID cases continue to rise in both the community and the province, vigilance is urged in the recognized actions that can curb the spread – maintaining physical distance of at least six feet or two metres from others outside your immediate household, wearing a face covering when physical distancing is a challenge, thorough and frequent hand washing with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (and always before eating or drinking, after using the bathroom, and before and after putting on or taking off a face mask), and keeping your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth.
You can also download the COVID Alert app, a made-in-Ontario tool that will alert users if they may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
