Niagara Health has declared an outbreak of COVID-19 on inpatient Unit 2A at the St. Catharines Site after a patient tested positive for the virus. Our investigation determined the case was healthcare-associated.
“Our Infection Prevention and Control team takes these situations very seriously and they have taken immediate action to protect our staff, physicians and patients,” says Derek McNally, Niagara Health’s Executive Vice President, Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Executive.
Our infection control experts, working with Niagara Region Public Health and our Occupational Health and Safety team, will monitor the situation closely and will adjust safety measures as required to respond to the outbreak.
Enhanced safety measures put in place include limiting admissions to the unit and following up with patients, staff and physicians who may have had direct contact with the patient as a precaution.
The patient who tested positive has been safely moved to the dedicated COVID-19 unit at the St. Catharines Site.
This is the third outbreak of COVID-19 on an inpatient unit at the St. Catharines Site.
Outbreaks were declared on Saturday, April 11 on Unit 3A and on Tuesday, April 14 Unit 4A. In each case, the outbreaks were declared because one healthcare worker had tested positive for COVID-19.
Those outbreaks are expected to be declared over in the next few days.
