GRH declares COVID-19 outbreak on 5 South (Clinical Teaching Unit)

In consultation with Region of Waterloo Public Health, Grand River Hospital has declared an outbreak of COVID-19 on 5 South, the Clinical Teaching Unit.

Currently, five patients on 5 South have tested positive.

A hospital outbreak is declared when two or more patients and/or staff test positive for a respiratory illness that was acquired in hospital within a timeframe that is consistent with the epidemiology of the disease, and when there is a link between the cases. We have implemented additional precautions to ensure increased safety of all:

• Enhanced surveillance
• Additional high-touch cleaning
• Universal staff masking when on the clinical unit
• Droplet/contact precautions PPE for interactions with all patients on the unit or transferred off the unit exposed to the outbreak
• Temporarily suspending in person care partner visits to the unit and working to enhance virtual and phone connections for our patients and families.
• Investigating opportunities to cohort COVID positive patients together to support continued operations and follow IPAC principles.

The hospital has reached out to patients and staff who may have been at risk of exposure. We wish these patients and staff a safe and speedy recovery.