Third COVID-19 outbreak declared at local hospital

This is the third unit at the hospital that has an outbreak of COVID-19 since Saturday

Sault Area Hospital and Algoma Public Health declared another COVID-19 outbreak this morning – this time on unit 3B.

This is the third unit at the hospital that has a new outbreak of COVID-19 since Saturday.

The hospital said 3B “is a general medicine unit that provides care for patients with a variety of non-surgical medical conditions.”

“There are fewer than five confirmed cases associated with the outbreak on Unit 3B,” said Brandy Sharp Young, director of corporate affairs at the hospital.

“To protect patient privacy, exact numbers are not shared when case counts are below a five-patient threshold.”

Both unit 2C, which is for post-acute complex continuing care, and 1B, for post-acute transitional care, have also been impacted. 

Hospital officials encourage the public to limit visits to the affected units while outbreaks remain active.

Yesterday the hospital said there were less than five cases of COVID-19 in each of the affected units.

“Visitors and essential caregivers are to wear PPE when in a patient’s room where additional precautions have been added . . . signage will indicate additional precautions are in place,” the hospital said on social media.

“Visitors are to adhere to hand hygiene practices. Please reach out to your loved one’s care team if you have questions.”

“Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our hospital safe!” the post said.

For more details, visit SAH Visitor Guidance.

“In a hospital setting an outbreak is declared based on the criteria outlined by the Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee on Infection Prevention and Control,” Felicia Clement, the hospital’s communications and digital services coordinator, told SooToday in October when there was a previous COVID-19 outbreak in 1B.

PIDAC defines an outbreak as two or more patients testing positive for the same respiratory virus within a defined area, “with symptom onset occurring within a 48-hour period, and where at least two cases could reasonably have been acquired within the health-care setting,” Clement said.

SooToday has reached out to the hospital for more information.

– With files from Greg McGrath-Goudie