There are some additional cases related to the COVID-19 outbreak at GR Baker Hospital in Quesnel.
Northern Health confirms that an additional 3 patients and 3 staff members have been identified as positive.
That is on top of the original two patients and two staff members that tested positive prior to an outbreak being declared back on October 14th.
Eryn Collins, Regional Manager of Public Affairs and Media Relations, says they are due to increased monitoring and testing following the original cases.
“Those cases were discovered very near or around the same time frame as the outbreak was actually declared. They are not recent cases, so none of the cases are considered active. All of them have since recovered.”
All of these cases are associated with the Inpatient Unit at the hospital.
Health Authorities normally wait for 28 days after the last case has been found before declaring an outbreak over.
We asked Collins if that was still the case.
“It is typically two incubation periods before all of the enhanced outbreak measures that are in place at the hospital would be lifted. While the outbreak itself is considered to be stable at this time, those outbreak measures will remain in place until we’re confident that there is no additional transmission of illness happening within the facility.”
Some of the restrictions that remain in place at the hospital include only allowing essential visitors, as well as enhanced cleaning and infection control measures.