5 babies test negative for COVID-19 after outbreak at hospital unit for premature infants

Five babies have been tested for COVID-19 after an outbreak in a Hamilton hospital unit that cares for premature infants all of their results came back negative.

The newbornshad direct contact withthree staff members at the Special Care Nursery run by St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton who are infected with the virus, according to aspokesperson.

"All of those babies were tested and the tests came back negative," wroteMaria Hayes in an email Wednesday. "We'll continue to closely monitor the situation."

Public health officials declared a COVID-19outbreak in the nursery, whichcares for babies born up to two months prematurely and infants with other health concerns, on Monday.

At the time,Dr. David Russell, interim chief of staff at St. Joe's, said hospital staff had tested one baby and mother for COVID-19 and were trying to get in contact with two more families whose children were discharged before staff started testing positive.

On Wednesday Hayes confirmed a total of five babies have been tested.

The hospital said a nursery staff member, who worked in an administrative role and didn't have any contact with babies,tested positive on March 31.

Then, a healthcare worker who did have contact withinfants, tested positive Friday evening and a third staff member they had been in contact with tested positive Sunday morning.

St. Joe's responded by segregating the babies who may have been exposed to COVID-19 in a separate area and testing staff who worked with those who had contracted the virus.

The hospital is continuing to allowparents to visit their babies in the nursery, but they have to pass strictscreening that includes questions about symptoms, travel and a laser thermometer to check their temperature.

Russell acknowledged the outbreak is an "unsettling time for parents" and saidthe hospital planned to haveone-on-one sessions with families to talk about what happened and answer questions.

"I think that parents would be alarmed by this and very concerned and wonder whetherit's safe to continue their care here," he said Monday."We have a dedicated plan with physicians, nursing staff ... to sit down individually with each parent and explain to them what we know ...[and] how we're monitoring how their baby is doing."