Three additional COVID-19 cases associated with Htel-Dieu Grace outbreak

There arethree additional COVID-19 cases associated with the outbreak on the third floor of the rehab tower atHtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH), according to a Tuesday news release from the hospital.

The new cases bring the total number of infections associated with the outbreak to 20.The hospital first declared an outbreak at its rehab uniton Sunday.

Meanwhile, the hospital said it's implementing a no visitors policy and other limitations. Designated care partners, contractors, students and hairdressersare being suspended temporarily.

"It is important to note that the precautions we are implementing are not just as a result of our internal outbreak," the statement reads.

"It is equally important because daily numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Windsor-Essex continue to show that we have a significant amount of community spread with a growing list of institutional/schools/workplaces, hospital and LTC/retirement home outbreaks."

HDGHsaid it will continue to work closely with the local health unit and provide updates. It also said it "deeply regrets the worry, concern and pain that this has caused for our staff, our patients and their families and our community and commit to providing timely updates as soon as we can."

No visitor policy

Htel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, along withWindsor Regional Hospital (WRH) and Erie Shores Healthcare, are re-institutinga"no visitor policy" effective Wednesday, according to another Tuesday media release, as a result of the rising number of cases of COVID-19 in the region.

"This difficult decision is intended as a precaution to keep patients, families and our health care teams safe as transmission rates rise and risk a crisis point for hospitals," the statement reads, adding that the high volume of patientsand the reduced bed capacity is challenging the entire local health care system.

Limited exceptions to the policy are in place at each hospital.

For WRH, essential visitors are allowed, which include:

• One visit by one visitor to a patient who is actively dying
• One support person for a woman in labour
• One parent/guardian of an ill newborn, child or youth

AtHDGH,patients who require palliative care and are actively dying are allowedtwo visitors present at any given time. Those patients who require palliative care, but are not actively dying, are allowed one visitor. This visitor must remain the same person.