Scarborough Health Network (SHN) is confirming a COVID-19 outbreak in six units on its general campus.
An outbreak is defined as two healthcare-related COVID-19 cases in two weeks.
SHN says that as of Thursday, January 6, 3C, 4C, 4E, and Tower 2, 6, and 9 at the Lawrence Avenue site are closed for patient admission and no visitors are allowed.
The hospital did not say how many patient beds are closed or how the outbreak is affecting care at the General, but a spokesman said the situation is being watched closely.
Staff continue to follow infection prevention and control measures, such as cleaning equipment after each use, Emily Santos said in a statement.
People with symptoms are asked not to come to work at the hospital until they receive further Health and Safety in the Workplace instructions.
SHN is asking patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms not to go to any of its three emergency departments, because they can expose vulnerable people to the virus.
People with mild symptoms are encouraged to call their family doctor or Telehealth Ontario for advice on how to manage at home, the hospital said.
People who now qualify for COVID-19 testing can visit shn.ca/covid19-assess to book an appointment at the hospital’s COVID-19 screening centers, which are located on the SHN Birchmount campus and Highland Hall on the University of Toronto campus in Scarborough.
Emergency departments are safe to visit, but patients “will be cared for based on the severity of their illness” and wait times for less serious illnesses will likely be longer than normal, the hospital said.
Updates on COVID-19 and the hospital are available at shn.ca/covid-19.
Reference-www.thestar.com