BREAKING: Outbreak declared among staff of Hamilton hospital’s special care nursery

Published April 6, 2020 at 2:05 pm

An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared among healht-care workers at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s Special Care nursery, it was announced Monday (April 6).

An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared among healht-care workers at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s Special Care nursery, it was announced Monday (April 6).

Hamilton Public Health, together with St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH), has declared a COVID-19 health-care worker outbreak at SJHH’s Special Care Nursery after three health-care providers who work at the unit tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, a press release from the City of Hamilton says.

One of the health-care workers had no direct contact with patients and families and the other two had either limited contact or contact while wearing a protective mask.

They were not symptomatic while caring for the babies or family, the release says.

Efforts are underway to ensure all babies, family members and staff/physicians who had direct contact with the positive health-care workers are tested and appropriate measures will be taken to limit transmission.

No babies or parents in the unit are symptomatic and all are being monitored closely.

Medical evidence so far indicates that babies typically experience mild symptoms and recover from the illness.

SJHH has created a separate space for infants who may have been exposed during this time period.

A deep cleaning of the unit is being done, the release says, and further infection prevention and control measures are in place.

The Special Care Nursery will continue to accept babies requiring care that are born at SJHH.

Photo courtesy St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and Foundation Facebook page

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