COVID-19 outbreak at Guelph General Hospital declared over

GUELPH – Officials have declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Guelph General Hospital over.

The hospital made the announcement about the outbreak, on ward 4 East, on April 9 “in consultation with Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.”

Hospital officials say it has been 14 days since the last hospital-acquired, COVID-positive patient was put in isolation with droplet contact precautions.

“This is some good news in this challenging time,” says Marianne Walker, president and CEO of the hospital.

“Full credit goes to the expertise and teamwork of hundreds of staff to bring this outbreak to a close.”

The hospital declared the outbreak on March 26, after four staff members on 4E tested positive. In total, at least 24 hospital staff members tested positive.

Despite declaring the outbreak over, Walker said hospital staff will not be letting down their guards.

“COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc across the world and in some places overwhelming health care systems and hospitals,” Walker stated.

“Here, it’s only by us continuing to do everything we can to maintain best practices in infection control along with the combined efforts of the community at large that we will keep our patients and our staff safe and protected.”

The hospital is continuing with pandemic protocols including a no-visitors policy, staff screening before shifts and the cancellation of elective surgeries and procedures.

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