Outbreak declared at Chinook Regional Hospital

By Herald on November 5, 2020.

An outbreak has been declared at Chinook Regional Hospital, after three health-care workers tested positive for COVID-19. Herald file photo by Ian Martens @IMartensHerald

Lethbridge Herald

An outbreak has been declared at Chinook Regional Hospital on Wednesday, after three health-care workers tested positive for COVID-19. No patient cases have been identified at this time. Contact tracing for anyone potentially exposed to these individuals is ongoing.

The situation is under review by the Medical Officer of Health, Infection Prevention and Control specialists, site leadership and AHS Workplace Health and Safety.

Alberta Health Services says Chinook Regional Hospital remains a safe place to receive care and that there is no increased risk to patients coming to the hospital. Any patient with symptoms, or who has tested positive for COVID-19, is isolated and treated in designated rooms.

AHS says patients within the hospital will continue to receive the treatment, care and support they need.  Visitors will be restricted to end-of-life situations only. Preplanned exceptions will be considered for labour and delivery, pediatrics and NICU.

AHS says that all their facilities, including the Chinook Regional Hospital, follow rigorous Infection Prevention and Control standards. All healthcare workers are asked to self-assess for COVID-19 symptoms and exposure risk using a screening tool before reporting to a site for their shift, and our frontline teams are practicing continuous masking while at work.

Visitors entering the hospital are instructed to follow all appropriate measures. These restrictions are in place, minimizing any risk of transmission from outside of the hospital. For visitation information and restrictions at AHS healthcare facilities, please visit https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/topics/Page17001.aspx

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