COVID-19 outbreak at STEGH

St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital on Friday night, Jan. 7, reported an outbreak of COVID-19 in its fifth floor Acute Medicine Unit, with three patients testing positive for the virus.

“The unit is currently closed to essential caregivers,” the hospital said in a statement.

“STEGH is working closely with Southwestern Public Health Unit and its Infection Prevention and Control team to monitor the situation, and notify patients and staff affected by the outbreak. Contract tracing and testing is being completed through the unit

Hospital President Karen Davies said, “This recent increasing surge of COVID-19 cases in our community puts our hospital at risk. This is our first outbreak, which speaks to the exceptional attention of our Infection Prevention and Control Measures over the past 22 months as we have managed a high volume of COVID (patients).”