The outbreak at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance has staff on high alert as they are being very cautious these days.
The number of patients and staff that tested positive in a COVID outbreak in the Medicine units at the Chatham hospital rose to 14 on Monday. There is also a small outbreak of two in the COVID unit itself.
CEO Lori Marshall says they are following all recommendations.
“We’ve moved very quickly on the recommendation of Public Health with our own outbreaks, first of all to swab all of the patients in hospital, that work has been completed,” Marshall says. “We started last week with respect to swabbing all staff and physicians.”
The hospital is isolating staff who have tested positive or had close contact, they are cohorting staff, and making sure the schedules don’t lead to cross over assignments. But Marshall says this is a lesson for everyone.
“I think this underscores for all of us how truly contagious this virus is, and it really requires all of our effort, everything that we can do as a community and also as a hospital to make sure that we can really get this under control, both within our organization and for our community at large.”
She reiterates the hospital is a safe place to come if you need medical attention.
