DIDSBURY - Visitation to a unit at the Didsbury hospital has been restricted due to a COVID-19 outbreak that occurred in recent days.
An outbreak was declared on Dec. 10 in the acute care unit of Didsbury District Health Services.
One health-care worker linked to the unit has tested positive for COVID-19 as has one patient linked to the unit, Alberta Health Services (AHS) confirmed in a provncial outbreak update issued Friday.
Locations of outbreaks in acute care and continuing care facilities are reported publicly when there are two or more cases, indicating that a transmission within the facility has occurred, AHS says.
“At this time visitation to this hospital unit is restricted to designated support persons and end-of-life situations. We encourage families to continue to meet virtually with their loved ones. Restrictions are in place to minimize any risk of transmission to and from outside of the hospital,” reads the outbreak notice.
Outbreaks are declared over when four weeks have passed with no new cases,
According to AHS, outbreak control measures have been implemented on the affected unit. Any patient with symptoms, or who has tested positive for COVID-19, is isolated and treated in designated rooms.
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All at-risk patients on the unit have been tested. Contact tracing for patients and health-care workers potentially exposed to these individuals is ongoing, according to AHS.
Designated family/support persons entering AHS facilities are instructed to follow all appropriate measures.
On Friday, AHS updated visitor guidelines for its acute care facilities. Effective Monday, Dec. 14, access for designated support persons and visitors includes the following:
• One designated support person for each patient in ambulatory, emergency, urgent care, maternity/postpartum and other inpatient areas.
• Up to two designated support persons for each patient in critical care, pediatrics and NICU.