Patient screening has increased to twice daily on two units dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks at the Foothills Medical Centre, according to Alberta Health Services.
The health authority also reported a third patient has died in relation to the two outbreaks.
The first outbreak, on the cardiac unit and impacting two units within that part of the hospital, was declared on Sept. 19. The second, on the single general medicine unit, was declared the following day.
A total of 17 patients had been diagnosed with the illness as of Wednesday, AHS said, with one additional person being confirmed.
Three more staff members also tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to nine. One-hundred-fourteen were in isolation as of Wednesday because of the outbreaks.
Staff on the units are also being screened twice a day, and break rooms are being monitored by managers and members are encouraged to take their breaks outside to help with physical distancing.
Visitors are restricted to end-of-life situations only on the units, and have to go through temperature checks at all entrances to the units.
Students and volunteers are also restricted from the units during the outbreaks.
AHS said there were no gaps in staffing levels due to the isolations and illnesses, adding that overtime and reassignment of staff are filling shifts.
Peter Lougheed outbreak over
The outbreak at Calgary’s Peter Lougheed Centre, which was declared on Sept. 1, was officially over as of Wednesday, AHS said.
The outbreak was within two units of the hospital, and two staff and one patient were confirmed to have COVID-19.
“After review by infection prevention and control, the medical officer of health and AHS Workplace Health & Safety, both units continued to take admissions and continued to be a safe and appropriate place to receive and deliver care.”
The outbreak was declared over by the medical officer of health on Sept. 21, and the units have since returned to regular visitor guidelines.
AHS said there were no active outbreaks at the Peter Lougheed Centre as of Wednesday.
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