COVID-19 outbreak declared at Providence Care Hospital

An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared at Province Care Hospital on Tuesday, Mar. 8, 2022, after four patients tested positive for the virus.

Parkside 2, an inpatient unit, is now under quarantine and the outbreak will be in place for a minimum of 10 days, according to a release from Providence Care. Parkside 2 patients will be closely monitored and re-tested for COVID-19 on a set schedule for the duration of the outbreak, the organization said, noting that staff who worked on Parkside 2 during the last week will also be tested for the virus.

According to the release, Providence Care has alerted Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (KFL&A) Public Health about the positive cases and is working closely with teams there. An investigation is also underway to determine how the patients contracted the virus.

All patients on the unit and loved ones have been informed about the positive cases, Providence Care stated. For confidentiality reasons, Providence Care is not able to share any identifiable or additional information about the cases.

To help limit the spread of infection, the inpatient unit has implemented several additional measures, according to Providence Care, including:

• Parkside 2 is closed to admissions.
• Designated visitors are temporarily prohibited. Only designated care partners and essential visitors (those with a loved one nearing end-of-life) are permitted to visit at this time. Visitors must pass screening and show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter the hospital. They must also wear a mask and any appropriate personal protective equipment for the duration of their visit.
• Continue to monitor all patients to identify potential cases early.
• Continue actively screening staff for COVID-19 symptoms. Staff must also wear appropriate personal protective equipment, practice physical distancing and good hand hygiene.
• Staff with ongoing exposure to the unit will participate in daily rapid antigen testing for the duration of the outbreak. 
• Extra cleaning of all high touch surfaces and common areas.

“Even with the province easing public health measures, COVID-19 protective measures remain in place at all Providence Care sites,” the organization stated. “We will continue to review safety measures on an ongoing basis to ensure our staff and the people we serve stay protected.”

Current safety measures for Providence Care sites include:

• Reducing visitors
• Passing screening
• Wearing a mask
• Providing proof of vaccination (exceptions apply)

Please visit providencecare.ca for up-to-date information about COVID-19 protective measures in place at all sites.

UPDATE: On Monday, Mar. 28, 2022, Providence Care declared the COVID-19 outbreak over. Read more here.