Coronavirus: Guelph General Hospital says no to food donations

Guelph General Hospital will not be accepting food donations from residents and businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In a series of tweets on Monday, the hospital said it doesn’t want staff gathering in groups to eat.

“We are extremely grateful for companies and individuals who are offering food to our frontline staff,” Guelph General said. “But we have to ensure we are doing all we can to protect both our staff and our patients.

The hospital said that staff are still accepting restaurant and food delivery gift cards through email. Another option is to mail donations to the hospital’s foundation.

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The move comes after Guelph General declared a COVID-19 outbreak in one of its wards where several healthcare workers tested positive for the virus.

The hospital has also restricted all visiting unless under exceptional circumstances, such as a parent of a child or a close relative of a terminally ill patient near death.