Etobicoke General Hospital Declares COVID-19 Outbreak, Implementing Precautions

Etobicoke General Hospital's 7 East Cardiology unit is experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak, as announced by William Osler Health System. The health system, prioritizing the well-being of patients, staff, physicians, volunteers, and the community, provided this update on July 17 via their website.

To contain the outbreak, the unit is currently not accepting new admissions except for telemetry patients who require remote data monitoring. When two or more individuals test positive for acute respiratory illness within 48 hours and share a common link, a COVID-19 outbreak is declared according to Osler's guidelines, in line with provincial guidance and consultation with infection prevention and control teams and Toronto Public Health.

William Osler Health System is taking additional measures to safeguard patients and healthcare workers. These precautions include notifying and testing individuals, as well as closely monitoring staff, physicians, and patients. The system is restricting staff from working on multiple units, intensifying cleaning of patient care equipment and hospital units, and enforcing visitor restrictions. Staff members are receiving increased education on personal protective equipment usage, proper hand hygiene, and maintaining physical distance.

All staff and physicians are urged to promptly report symptoms to Occupational Health and Safety. The hospital emphasizes that despite the outbreak, it remains open and secure. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch highlights that periodic outbreaks, including COVID-19, influenza, parainfluenza, and gastrointestinal illnesses, are managed efficiently by dedicated infection prevention and control professionals.

Bogoch emphasizes the vigilance and efforts of these professionals, who detect and contain outbreaks swiftly. Their ongoing work necessitates the continued use of masks, particularly when healthcare providers interact with patients. As per the Ontario COVID-19 Data Tool, the province currently has seven hospital outbreaks, reflecting a decline in COVID-19 outbreaks paralleling lower virus levels in the community.

Since January 15, when there were 35 hospital outbreaks, the number has significantly decreased, indicating progress in managing the spread of COVID-19 within healthcare settings.