A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg, Ont.
The hospital announced early Tuesday evening that there are currently four active cases among admitted patients on the rehabilitation unit.
As a result, the hospital and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit decided to temporary pause visitation to the inpatient rehab unit 1A.
Exceptions will be made for those at imminent end of life.
COVID protocols remain in effect including self-screening by staff for COVID-19 symptoms. and use of PPE by all staff.
Masking is still required and the hospital urges all visitors to continue to follow the regulation.. Visitors have access to free masks on entry to the hospital and NHH’s Community Mental Health offices and will
be expected to keep their medical-grade mask on at all times.
“Despite NHH’s ongoing universal masking policy, we continue to see some visitors taking a relaxed approach to masking while inside the hospital, by either removing their mask after entry, eating or drinking in patient rooms, or letting it drop down below their nose or chin,” said Ellen Douglas, Manager of Infection Prevention and Control at NHH.
“As we have seen before, this has not only contributed to some patients contracting COVID-19, but now an outbreak on our Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit. All visitors are reminded that when they do not wear their mask properly or consistently while inside the hospital, there is an increased infection risk to the loved ones they are visiting, as well as other vulnerable patients around them. The message continues to be: please wear your mask.”