With the province planning to revoke some of the directives that were put in place to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, local hospitals want you to know that as high-risk care settings, restrictions will remain in place including masking until at least April 27, in keeping with the statement released by the Chief Medical Officer of Health last week.
“The pandemic is not over yet,” explains Lee Fairclough, president, St. Mary’s General Hospital and Waterloo Wellington hospital regional lead, COVID-19 response. “Across Waterloo Region and surrounding communities, we are still seeing higher rates of infection. We want to ensure that we continue following the steps that we know we need to take to protect vulnerable patients, and keep our staff healthy, working and able to provide care.”
Waterloo Region and surrounding communities are still seeing high rates of infection in the community as indicated through wastewater analysis which can be found on the region’s website here; https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/health-and-wellness/covid-19- wastewater-surveillance.aspx.
At local hospitals, care partners and others entering hospital buildings will still be asked to:
• Show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination;
• Wear a hospital issued mask while at the hospital, at all times;
• Sanitize their hands frequently; and
• Physical distance from others wherever possible.
“Hospitals are not the same as a restaurant or movie theatre,” says Ron Gagnon, president and CEO, Grand River Hospital. “We have a number of very ill and vulnerable patients in our buildings. Maintaining restrictions at our hospitals will help protect patients and staff. They also reduce the opportunity for outbreaks to occur in hospital settings which can limit our ability to continue providing, and ramping up care services.”
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More Information:
Stephan Beckhoff
Manager, Public Affairs & Communications
Cambridge Memorial Hospital
sbeckhoff@cmh.org
t: 519-621-2333 ext. 2427
m: 519-654-8334
Cheryl Evans
Manager, Communications and Engagement
Grand River Hospital
cheryl.evans@grhosp.on.ca
t: 519-749-4300 ext. 3880
m: 226-749-0689
Alison Armstrong
Manager, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Wellington Health Care Alliance
Groves Memorial Community Hospital
North Wellington Health Care
aarmstrong@whca.ca
519-843-2010 ext. 47614
Perry Hagerman
Senior Communications Specialist
Guelph General Hospital
519-837-6440 ext. 2774
Dayna Giorgio
Manager, Communications
St. Mary’s General Hospital
dgiorgio@smgh.ca
519-895-6540