Officials at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) say they are closely monitoring its latest COVID-19 outbreak which has claimed the lives of two patients.
Last week, two patients in the Barrie hospital tested positive for COVID-19 and by Friday an outbreak was declared on its inpatient transitional care unit.
Ten patients were associated with that outbreak and two have since died.
“Today, in total, we have 12 active COVID-positive patients,” RVH president and CEO Janice Skot said Tuesday. “Two of those patients are in our intensive care unit.”
The remainder are associated with the outbreak.
A staff member has also tested positive.
A week ago, RVH had just two COVID-positive patients.
The transitional care unit is now closed and outbreak management protocols have been activated. That includes enhanced infection control practices, enhanced cleaning, education and enhanced surveillance of patients and staff who are undergoing regular COVID-19 testing.
“It’s a closed unit right now; it’s in quarantine. That means there cannot be any admissions or transfers and, obviously, no visitors,” said Skot. “The unit remains in outbreak until 14 days after the last positive test on the unit.
“We do not know the exact origin yet, but we do know that there would have been something happening within the unit itself," she added.
Since the start of the pandemic more than 18 months ago, RVH has cared for 580 COVID-19 patients and there have been a total of 89 deaths. The first occurred on March 11, 2020.
Skot pointed out that the hospital deals with infectious diseases daily and is practising all safety protocols to contain the situation and prevent further spread.
Starting on Nov. 15, RVH is implementing a new visitor policy which requires all visitors to the hospital to provide proof of vaccination. There will be exceptions such as in cases involving trauma, a birthing mother, a pediatric patient or dying patient.
“The policy is strict and we want to remind people we are a regional cancer centre with a lot of immunocompromised patients with us," Skot said. "The same would be said for patients with heart disease, cardiac, and of course we have a kidney program, a hub for renal patients from this part of the region.
“We have to do everything possible to keep them safe.”
