One day after the Ontario government confirmed the first two cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant of concern in Canada, the province’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore held a media conference on Monday morning (November 29) in which he said he “would not be surprised” if more cases are confirmed.

The Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) has a high number of mutations, raising concerns the strain may be more transmissible and be able to evade existing vaccines. First detected in southern Africa on November 9, Omicron has now been found in multiple countries.

The first two cases in Canada were confirmed in Ottawa in two people who had recently travelled to Nigeria. Ottawa Public Health is conducting case and contact management and the two infected people are in isolation.

According to Dr. Moore, the two individuals arrived at the Montreal International Airport.

“Their testing was initially done in Montreal,” Dr. Moore said. “We received the results through a partnership with the province of Quebec, and the National Medical Lab and the Public Health Agency of Canada. These cases are being monitored very closely by both the the Public Health Agency of Canada and now Ottawa Public Health.”

The Ontario government is recommending testing of all people who have returned from, or travelled in, the following countries since November 1: South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. Asymptomatic family members and other household contacts of these travellers are also eligible for testing. The province will be conducting genomic sequencing on all positive test results to determine the variant behind the infection.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has identified 375 people who have returned to Ontario from these seven countries in the past two weeks, according to Dr. Moore, and they are being contacted for testing.

“We are investigating other cases, so I would not be surprised if we find more in Ontario,” Dr. Moore said, adding the province is waiting for genomic sequencing results for four other travellers who have returned from southern Africa, including two in Ottawa and two in the Hamilton area.

Dr. Moore said the province is acting out of an “abundance of caution”, as there are still a lot of unanswered questions about the Omicron variant.

“We need to understand if this is a virulent infection — if it makes people significantly sick or leads them to hospitalization,” he said. “We really don’t have that information yet.”

Dr. Moore said the Ontario government is not planning to implement any additional public health measures at this point.

“If we see widespread presence of Omicron across Ontario, which is not the case at present, then we could review any measures that we need to take at a provincial level, as well as certainly work with our public health agency colleagues about limiting the number of international flights potentially to one or two airports where we can have concentrated testing and assessment capacity.”

Dr. Moore also said it would be “prudent” to expand testing to all returning travellers.

“We’re learning from the epidemiology that this virus (strain) has been present on the globe for probably many many weeks, if not months, and it has spread to multiple locations around the globe — as we’re learning every minute of every hour,” he said. “It may be more prudent to broaden the testing to all returning travellers to ensure that they can have a take-home PCR test, to get that test done and have the results tested for this strain in particular.”

When asked by a reporter whether the government will accelerate booster shots because of Omicron, Dr. Moore explained that is one option currently being reviewed. Although the vaccine’s effectiveness against Omicron is still unknown, it has proven more than 90 per cent effective against the dominant Delta variant.

“The third dose would only continue to protect Ontarians, so that is absolutely one strategy we will be reviewing and presenting to government this week,” he said. “You can anticipate potential acceleration of our third dose strategy.”

Dr. Moore pointed out it took three to four months for Delta to become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in Ontario. If Omicron is more infectious than Delta, it may be two to three months before it becomes dominant in the province.

However, unless the Omicron variant is more virulent and is able to evade the existing vaccine, he said he does not foresee additional public health measures.

“If it’s a less lethal virus (strain), less impact on the hospital sector, and our vaccines can continue to work against it, we will continue our current strategy and not have to have any further public health restrictions.”

“We’ll kept calm, we’ll continue wearing our masks and doing all the basic actions we know work against COVID-19, until we get further information on this virus (strain), which we anticipate in the coming weeks,” he added.

A sign posted on the door leading to the dog kennel at the Peterborough Humane Society (PHS) advises those whose pass to stay ‘pawsitive.’

With construction of the $10-million Peterborough Animal Care Centre well underway on a 20-acre site at 1999 Technology Drive in southeast Peterborough, PHS executive director Shawn Morey doesn’t need any coaxing in that department.

During a tour of the new facility site provided exclusively to kawarthaNOW, Morey’s excitement was palpable, both in his voice and in his body language. Picture a child during a pre-Christmas visit to the toy department and you’ll get the idea.

“This will be recognized as the premium animal care centre not only locally and regionally but, I would argue, nationally as well — we will be looked upon as the gold standard,” predicts Morey.

“Peterborough should be extremely excited about this. Animal wellness is definitely a growth sector right now and is going to be for a number of years. We’re building at the right time.”

If the continued success of an ongoing fundraising campaign, titled Our Pet Project, is any indication, Peterborough is indeed excited.

To date, some $9 million has been raised via a variety of sources, including $1.68 million from the City of Peterborough and $741,000 bequeathed by the late Cynthia (Cyndy) Richards, a PHS volunteer who passed in November 2019 after a long illness.

In addition, the Ontario SPCA has committed $2 million to the project, PetSmart Charities of Canada has contributed $161,000 and Community Futures has granted $50,000. Then there’s a number of sizable corporate donations from Darling Insurance, Stonehouse, One Fine Food, and Wildfire Golf Club to name but a few.

With soft costs, contingencies, and taxes added to the equation, Morey notes another $3 million in donations is still needed, but he is confident that will be secured. To make a tax deductible donation, visit www.ourpetproject.ca/donate or reach out by email to Julie Howe, PHS’ corporate partnerships and marketing manager, at j.howe@ptbohs.com or phone 705-745-4722, ext. 201.

To say the new 24,000-square-foot centre is sorely needed classifies as the understatement of the year. PHS’s current home opened in 1956 as a dog pound and for years that sufficed, but as the demand for animal care services and kennel space grew substantially over the years, the space couldn’t keep pace — despite at least three renovations that saw additions expand it to 6,200 square feet.

As Morey notes, every square inch of the current facility is spoken for and then some. While PHS staff have made the best of a challenging situation, the needs of the some 1,500 animals housed and cared for annually, as well as pet owners and visitors, aren’t being met to the standards desired.

That situation will change in a very big way come early October 2022, the projected opening date of the new centre.

“This was needed years ago,” says Morey, adding “It’s time — we need to make this happen now.”

Designed by Peterborough-based Lett Architects with Peak Construction Group Limited of Brighton serving as the general contractor, the centre will be unique in Canada in its bringing shelter, adoption, education, accessible spay and neuter, and dog rehabilitation services together under one roof.

At its centre are three distinct services: PHS’ continued care and housing of animals in need, a spay and neuter clinic that can accommodate 25 animals daily and, in partnership with the Ontario SPCA, Canada’s first provincial dog rehabilitation centre that will care and support animals that have been abused, neglected, or traumatized under the supervision of animal behaviour specialists.

In all three areas, everything is designed with animals front of mind: more room, abundant natural light, and minimal noise and stress.

One of the most significant changes, Morey explains, is the way dogs will be housed at the new centre. Each of the multiple “suites” has its own in/out privileges, made possible via a double sliding door that leads from the interior kennel space to a sizable outside space. That’s a huge upgrade from the current facility, where each dog have to be taken outside by a staff member and then brought back inside.

As for the spray and neuter clinic, which comprises a spacious 2,600 square feet, Morey says it will be “a major hub” for animal owners across the region and well beyond.

“The two biggest barriers for folks to get their animals spayed or neutered are time and money,” he points out. “If we can eliminate those two barriers, we’re not only going to see better health promotion of animals in our care but also regionally. There’ll be less pet overpopulation and more (spayed or neutered) animals available for adoption.”

The clinic will provide affordable spay and neuter services with same day service, unlike similar facilities that have a wait of anywhere between 18 and 24 months, or the weeks or months at a veterinarian.

“Owners will be able to bring their pets to us between 7:30 and 8 a.m., leave and go enjoy the sights and sounds of Peterborough, have lunch, do some shopping, and pick up their animal around 3 or 3:30 pm,” Morey says.

Noting the new centre is foremost “designed and built with the animals in mind,” Morey says, at the end of the day, the end goal is a simple one: to revolutionize animal wellness not only here in Peterborough but also regionally and provincially.

“It’s going to take our current facility and what we’re housing here and expand the services, programs, treatments, and wellness we’ll be able to provide,” he says. “We’re taking all the best practices and elevating service one step more — in our case, probably two or three steps more. It’s about bringing the future of animal wellness here today.”

“We’ve spared no expense with regard to disease prevention and health promotion of our animals,” adds Morey, referring to the state-of-the-art heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system that will provide fresh and healthy airflow at all times into all areas of the centre. “Our HVAC unit represents one-tenth of the total cost of the building. In some spaces within the centre, it’s going to be hospital grade or better.”

PDF: Peterborough Animal Care Centre master floor plan

VIDEO: Construction progress at the new Peterborough Animal Care Centre

Noting the project will have taken 10 years to go from concept to reality next year, Morey readily admits to growing excitement as each day on the calendar is ticked off, but says his staff are even more excited.

“Not only will there be more space to work with the animals, but it’s going to allow us more opportunities to have that direct care — that intimate care — with each individual animal that is lacking currently,” he says.

‘This is the right thing to do. I’m not saying that as executive director of the organization — I’m saying that as individual who loves animals. This facility was sorely needed many years ago. What it’s going to do for pets, and families and individuals, is going to be outstanding.”

For more information about the Peterborough Humane Society, visit peterboroughhumanesociety.ca.

There’s another reason to choose local and do your shopping in downtown Peterborough this holiday season. You can get your gift purchases wrapped for free by two local elves at the new festive Holiday Hub on George Street.

Located at 373 George Street, the former location of Pensieri Shoes, the Holiday Hub is open to the public each Friday until December 17 from 12 to 5 p.m.

Complimentary gift-wrapping services are available for any items you’ve purchased at a downtown business (just show your receipt). While you’re there, you can collect a free stamp for your holiday shopping passport.

The Holiday Hub also features a selfie station with painting of The Grinch by local artist Tim Wale and a holiday-themed art gallery. You can also donate a toy for the local toy drive in support of Salvation Army and Children’s Foundation.

On two Saturdays in December (December 11 and 18), the Holiday Hub will host a pop-up festive art market, with free gift-wrapping services available from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Holiday Hub was originally intended as a placemaking initiative while a section of George Street was under construction for emergency storm water repairs.

Now that repairs have been completed, the Holiday Hub has become festive space to support holiday shoppers, with murals by local artists on the exterior construction fencing repurposed as a festive art gallery.

“We are so excited to see George Street animated for the holidays and hope this positive intervention will provide a new template for our organization to explore emergent placemaking in the future,” says Dawn Pond, placemaking project manager with the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area, in a media release.

The retail space for the Holiday Hub has been donated by property owners Delor and Andrew Damiany, who also own the adjacent business Gentry Apparel.

“For us the spot was empty, and we are so excited to see the space buzzing with activity and holiday spirit,” Andrew Damiany says. “It’s a great idea for the downtown, and especially the George Street businesses who have been dealing with the impact of construction.”

For more information about the Holiday Hub events and promotions, holiday shopping passports, and more, visit theboro.ca.

COVID-19 vaccination clinics for children at Peterborough County elementary schools will be held outside of school hours and parental consent will be required before a child can receive the vaccine.

On Friday (November 26), Peterborough Public Health announced five vaccination clinics for children aged five to 11 will take place in December at schools in Norwood, Apsley, Ennismore, Millbrook, and Lakefield.

“We are aware that false information is being spread regarding the timing of COVID-19 vaccine clinics in school,” says Donna Churipuy, the health unit’s incident commander for COVID-19 emergency response, in a media release. “We want to reassure the community that vaccines will not be administered during school hours and that there is a consent process required for the COVID-19 vaccine.”

Churipay encourages parents and guardians, before booking a vaccination appointment for their child, to review the Ontario Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 vaccine consent form, which applies to children and youth aged five to 17.

“Residents will be asked to verbally attest to the consent form at the vaccine appointment,” Churipay adds. “Reviewing the form before the appointment will assist with a quick and easy process for clients.”

Appointments can be booked through the provincial government’s COVID-19 vaccine booking system online at covid19.ontariohealth.ca or by calling 1-833-943-3900.

The locations, dates, and times of the upcoming school clinics for children aged five to 11 are:

• Norwood District High School (44 Elm St, Norwood) – Friday, December 3rd from 4 to 7 p.m.
• Apsley Public School (238 Burleigh St, Apsley) – Friday, December 10th from 4 to 7 p.m.
• St. Martin Catholic Elementary School (531 Ennis Rd, Ennismore) – Friday, December 17th from 4 to 7 p.m.
• Millbrook/South Cavan Public School (47 Tupper St, Millbrook) – Monday, December 20th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Lakefield District Public School (71 Bridge St, Lakefield) – Wednesday, December 29th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The clinics in Millbrook and Lakefield will be held at the schools while children are on holiday break.

“We want to ensure children feel comfortable in the clinic environment,” Churipuy says. “Our vaccine clinics will be designed for safety and comfort for the children. Hosting a clinic in a familiar setting like a school may help to reduce hesitancy a child has about receiving a needle.”

More school clinics will be announced as locations are confirmed. In addition to school clinics, COVID-19 vaccination clinics for children aged five to 11 are running in the evening at the Healthy Planet Arena (911 Monaghan Rd., Peterborough).

On November 19, Health Canada approved the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, a modified formulation which is one-third the dose of the vaccine available for those 12 and older. The recommended interval between the two doses for full vaccination is eight weeks.

According to Peterborough Public Health, more than 1,700 appointments have been booked to date by parents and caregivers for their children aged five to 11 to receive their first dose of the vaccine.

If you want a chance to win a big cash jackpot while supporting world-class healthcare at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC), there’s still time to buy tickets for the PRHC Foundation’s November 50/50 Lottery.

The month’s lottery runs until midnight on Monday, November 29th, with one lucky winner drawn the following morning who will take home the grand prize jackpot — currently over $34,000 and growing — plus the choice of either a $2,500 Resorts of Ontario gift certificate or $2,000 in cash.

Tickets are available online only at prhcfoundation5050.com, where you can buy 10 tickets for $10, 40 tickets for $20, 160 tickets for $40, or 400 tickets for $75. Ticket buyers must be 18 years of age or older and in the province of Ontario to play.

The more tickets people buy, the larger the grand prize jackpot grows. Last month’s winner, Judy Johnston of Peterborough, took home $66,902.50 in cash and chose the $2,500 Resorts of Ontario gift certificate as her bonus prize.

This month, two lucky winners — Ruth Passant and Rebecca Schillemat — also walked away with $1,000 in cash each during the “Thousand Dollar Thursdays” early bird draws held on November 17 and 25.

Whether you win or not, you can feel good about buying tickets. With 50 per cent of all ticket sales going to the PRHC Foundation, your ticket purchases will help fund essential equipment and technology that transforms patient care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

As PRHC Foundation President and CEO Lesley Heighway explains, significant investments are needed to fund the technological advancements and essential medical equipment that support great patient care at the hospital. Many people don’t realize the government doesn’t fund hospital equipment or technology.

“We all want the best possible patient care for our loved ones, but government funding doesn’t cover all of the hospital’s needs,” Heighway says. “That’s why the support of the community is so important.”

By purchasing tickets for the PRHC Foundation’s 50/50 Lottery, you help fund equipment and technology such as new state-of-the-art CT Scanners used to help diagnose and treat patients across the hospital, cutting-edge tools needed in the hospital’s Cardiac Cath Lab to keep stopping heart attacks in their tracks, and Interventional Radiology — an exciting and innovative minimally invasive alternative to conventional surgery.

Not only does this equipment and technology save lives, but it also helps PRHC attract and retain the best doctors, nurses, and staff, enhancing the quality of patient care even more.

“When people buy their tickets, they’ll have the added comfort of knowing that thanks to their support, our loved ones, friends, and neighbours can always find the world-class care they need and deserve right here at home,” Heighway says.

The grand prize winner for the PRHC Foundation’s November 50/50 Lottery will be drawn at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 30th. To be entered in this month’s grand prize draw, buy your tickets before midnight on November 29 at prhcfoundation5050.com.

This story was created in partnership with the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation.

Peterborough’s Electric City Football Club (FC), the first professional soccer club in the greater Kawarthas region, has announced the signing of its inaugural head coach and technical director.

London, Ontario native Michael Marcoccia will lead the club when it plays its first season in League1 Ontario in 2022.

“We have been searching for the right head coach for this project for over a year and conducted countless interviews with individuals from across North America,” says Electric City FC president Rob Jenkins in a media release. “We couldn’t be more pleased to have been able to land such a great coaching talent to lead our project.”

Marcoccia is possibly the most successful League1 Ontario head coach since the league was founded in 2014. For the past six years, he was head coach and technical director at FC London, where he coached the club’s women’s and men’s League1 Ontario teams, with a record of 100 wins and 14 draws against 28 losses.

“The first thing that drew me to Peterborough and Electric City FC was the project itself,” Marcoccia says. “The more I learned from talking to Rob, the more I realized that this project was much bigger than I originally thought and something that I wanted to be a part of at this stage in my career.”

Marcoccia has won more League1 Ontario titles than any other coach, including three championships, five regular season titles, and one League1 Ontario Cup. Marcoccia has also been named League1 Ontario Coach of the Year three times. He has also been selected to coach the League1 Ontario All-Stars on three separate occasions.

VIDEO: Meet Michael Marcoccia, head coach and technical director of Electric City FC

“Michael brings with him a tradition of excellence in League1 Ontario on both the men’s and women’s side and has the ambition and ability to take this project to the next level,” Jenkins says. “We feel very fortunate to have him in Peterborough.”

Electric City FC will be launching a men’s and women’s side in League1 Ontario in 2022, and Marcoccia will lead both squads in their inaugural season — with the aim of taking Electric City FC o the top of the sport in Canada, including the Canadian Premier League in the future.

“With our ambitions set high, it is going to take the whole community getting behind us and in response to that support I think it’s important for this team to be a reflection of this community. Fans can expect to see a team on the pitch that is hardworking, passionate and dedicated to working together.”

Prior to his coaching career, the Italian-Canadian spent time with multiple clubs in Italy’s Serie C2, Serie D, Eccellenza, and in France’s Championnat National. Marcoccia also played locally for London City Soccer Club and FC London, where he bagan coaching after retiring from play.

“The next steps are to build our team and we are looking for players who have the same ambition to go professional as we do,” Marcoccia says. “This is an excellent opportunity for individuals to start in League1 Ontario and work their way with the club to the next level.”

Open tryouts for both the Electric City FC men’s and women’s teams are being held on Wednesday, December 1st indoors at the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan. Registration is limited to 75 participants per team. To register, visit electriccityfc.com/tryouts.

You may recall the article I wrote a few weeks ago about COP26 and why it matters locally and globally.

COP26 is now over. Did they keep alive the goal of restricting global warming to 1.5 degrees?

The general consensus I see from climate change experts is that COP26 was another step in the right direction, but that it still leaves us far short of the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres himself has said that “we are still knocking on the door of climate catastrophe.”

We need to turn around and knock on the door that leads to sustainable, healthy communities.

There’s a gap between the action we need and the action we’re getting from world leaders. This is a familiar gap, and it’s something we can overcome. Historically, these kinds of cultural and social changes come mostly from the grassroots, not from the top down.

There is an increasingly urgent need to educate, inspire, and empower action at the grassroots level — that’s you, your neighbours, your friends, your family. That’s where this change happens.

GreenUP needs you. In communities across Canada and around the world, grassroots and non-profit environmental organizations like GreenUP have our work cut out for us. With your help now, we can all give each other the action, hope, and change that are so urgently needed to create a sustainable future that leaves no one behind.

If you are a regular reader of GreenUP’s columns, you already know this decade is our last best chance to take climate action. In the face of sometimes overwhelming problems and the devastation of the climate emergency, we may despair and feel paralyzed by the tiny scope of our individual actions.

I’m reminded of something that climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe said in a recent interview with CBC’s The Current: “Hope comes from action rather than the opposite way around.”

“I study the difference that our choices make in the future and I can tell you without a shadow of doubt that our future is in our hands,” Hayhoe shared. “Every choice matters. Every year matters. Every bit of warming matters, and every action matters.”

AUDIO: Katharine Hayhoe on CBC’s The Current

You matter. That hope — that power to create change — comes from taking action together, in our homes and throughout our communities. With the support of donors, volunteers, and partners, GreenUP continues to empower those actions and create that hope across the greater Peterborough region.

There are two kinds of actions we need you to support now. First, we need to empower people to take the climate action that is within our grasp right now: low-hanging fruit we can seize to meet our target of reducing emissions by 45 per cent by 2030. Second, we also need to inspire the youth of today to become the climate leaders of tomorrow.

GreenUP is committed to inspiring and empowering these changes. Here’s how:

Our home energy and Green Economy Peterborough programs are ready to facilitate the climate action we need this decade. We know that over 36 per cent of emissions in the Peterborough region come from homes and buildings. This is the biggest piece of the puzzle to meet our 2030 emissions reductions targets.

We know that meeting these targets can also deliver additional benefits: increased home comfort, improved energy efficiency, and reduced business costs, to name a few. We need the capacity to reach the home and business owners who can make these changes.

GreenUP’s Neighbourhood programs are supporting active transportation and accessibility for all ages and abilities. We are helping to reduce transportation emissions and introduce climate change mitigation strategies.

GreenUP also continues to steward and create green spaces like Ecology Park and our Depave Paradise sites that demonstrate the benefits of green spaces and green infrastructure in our shared watershed.

Last, but certainly not least, GreenUP’s educational programs fill a critical gap for children and youth. Climate change is a multiplier of inequality. This is perhaps most evident for today’s youth. These generations will grow up with the consequences of votes they can’t make and buying power they can’t control.

In recent years, generous donors have helped us transform Ecology Park into an accessible, barrier-free educational space.

GreenUP’s educational programs align with curriculum needs while also focusing on action and leadership. It is essential for the wellness and survival of today’s youth that they are empowered and informed so that they can participate in solutions to climate change.

Climate change also disproportionately impacts those impacted by gender inequality. Girls and young women are increasingly likely to experience unequal access to health, education, participation, and protection.

With this in mind, GreenUP piloted a Girl’s Climate Leadership Program in the summer of 2020. This program gave a small cohort of girls the opportunity to learn about the impacts of climate change, develop strategies to support action in their lives, and learn from inspiring local climate leaders who identify as women.

VIDEO: 350 Climate Ride with Glen Caradus

This past summer, we more than doubled the capacity of the Girl’s Climate Leadership Program. Participants learned about food security, low-carbon building methods, water protection, active transportation, and ecosystem restoration.

We continue to grow our youth programming at Ecology Park and in schools, reaching more families and future leaders every year.

GreenUP does not do all this alone. We depend on the support of partners, volunteers, and especially donors.

How can you help? Your donation to GreenUP helps us invest in both the climate action we need today and also the climate leadership we need to build a better tomorrow.

Giving Tuesday is coming up on November 30th. This is a day celebrated across Canada as the beginning of the giving season. Please make a donation to GreenUP or become a monthly donor. GreenUP is a non-profit charity: your donations support our climate action projects.

For more information and to donate, visit greenup.on.ca/donate-to-greenup/.

The profits from sales at the GreenUP Store and Ecology Park Nursery also support our work. The Ecology Park Nursery is now closed for the season, but the GreenUP Store is well-stocked with green gifts and GreenUP gift certificates.

You can drop in to GreenUP Store at 378 Aylmer Street North in downtown Peterborough (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday) or shop online anytime at shop.greenup.on.ca.

This story has been published in partnership with Peterborough GreenUP.

Campbellford Memorial Hospital in Northumberland County has implemented visitor restrictions after the local health unit declared a COVID-19 outbreak at the hospital on Wednesday (November 24).

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit declared the outbreak after six patients in the hospital’s medical/surgical unit on the second floor tested positive for COVID-19. No staff cases have been identified in the hospital.

Of the six patients with COVID-19, three were fully vaccinated and three were not fully vaccinated.

As a result of the outbreak declaration, the medical/surgical unit has been closed to all visitors, with the exception of those visiting patients in hospital for end of life care. The outpatient endoscopy suite on the second floor has also been closed.

The emergency department, located on the hospital’s first floor, remains open. There are no changes to the visiting rules in the emergency department and minor children and elderly adults who need supportive care can continue to be accompanied by one person. People in need of emergency medical care are encouraged to seek out medical support at emergency department.

The hospital is working closely with the HKPR District Health Unit to ensure appropriate infection prevention and control practices are in place to prevent further spread of the virus.

“While we continue to have appropriate COVID-prevention measures in place at the hospital, we are now implementing additional processes and heightened infection control practices to ensure we stop any further spread and ensure the safety of our patients and staff,” says Alysia English, the hospital’s director of medical care, in a media release.

Hospital staff are working with health unit staff to monitor the outbreak and support case and contact tracing, and additional testing of close contacts is also being conducted at the hospital. The hospital will continue to implement enhanced environmental deep cleaning of the buildings.

Hospital staff are working to minimize the impact of the outbreak on non-emergency services. They will directly contact any patients with scheduled appointments at the hospital that may be affected by the outbreak.