While the number of active COVID-19 cases dropped in New Brunswick on Monday, health-care facilities are still grappling with the effects of the virus — including The Moncton Hospital, which is currently experiencing an outbreak in its oncology and general surgery units.
According to Horizon Health, 14 patients and 10 staff members are impacted by the outbreaks.
Mass testing is taking place and both units are currently closed to admissions and transfers.
“Unit staff are following enhanced IPC (infectious prevention control) guidelines and foot traffic to these units will be limited to essential services, such as food services,” said Christa Wheeler-Thorne, executive director of the hospital, in a statement.
“I’d like to commend our staff – including employee health and our IPC staff – for their swift, thorough response to this situation. Their efforts have been instrumental in tracing and containing these outbreaks.”
The increasing number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations — including ICU admissions — has also lead Horizon Health to ask that designated support persons (DSPs) be fully vaccinated by Nov. 19 in order to visit inpatients and to accompany people to outpatient appointments.
Visitors have already been been restricted from Horizon Health hospitals since Oct. 8.
Temporary closure of labour and birth unit extended
Horizon Health also said Monday that the temporary closure of the labour and birth unit at the Upper River Valley Hospital in Waterville, N.B. will remain in place until Nov. 2 “at the earliest.”
The health network says the closure is necessary because of staffing adjustments to provide care for COVID-19 patients at the hospital.
Expectant mothers will need to travel to Horizon’s Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in Fredericton to deliver their babies.