Grand River Hospital declares new COVID-19 outbreak

Grand River Hospital has declared a new COVID-19 outbreak, this time on5 Centre, part of its medicine program.

The outbreak involves two patients and four people working in the unit. The hospital says the outbreak is retroactive, because there was no obvious link between the staff cases until the patients tested positive.

Grand River also has an outbreak on its 5S medicine unit. In that outbreak, three patients and two staff members tested positive for the virus. That outbreak was declared on Nov. 26.

Bonnie Camm, executive vice president of clinical services at Grand River Hospital, said in a release that the hospital is "focusing on implementing additional precautions to contain the spread and protect the health and wellness of both our patients and staff."

Admissions to the unit have been temporarily closed and in-person care partner visits will also be on hold until the outbreak is over.

The hospital says it will enhancesurveillance to identify more potential cases, cohort staff "as much as possible" and do more frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces.

Outbreaks at St. Mary's, Cambridge

The outbreak comes a day after St. Mary's General Hospital declared an outbreak after five patients and two staff members on the hospital's chest unittested positive for the virus.

CambridgeMemorialHospitalis investigating a potential COVID-19 outbreak. The unit in question is under a 'watch status' after two staff had confirmed positive COVID-19 tests on Dec. 5.

Cambridge Memorial already has one outbreak on its Wing B, level 4 medicine unit, which was declared on Nov. 13.