The COVID-19 outbreak at Southlake Regional Health Centre has been declared over by York Region public health.
Sadly, an 85-year-old Newmarket resident who was exposed to COVID-19 as a patient at the Newmarket hospital passed away Saturday, May 9 in the outbreak that began when a health-care worker tested positive April 28.
The outbreak, the first in a York Region hospital, was initially confined to the medical assessment and consultation unit where the staff member worked, and where two patients tested positive positive on April 29.
At that time, six staff members and physicians had previously tested positive for COVID-19 after being exposed elsewhere, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Using the staff RFID badge system, the hospital was able to quickly identify staff and physicians who had contact with the infected staff member and patients.
However, additional COVID-19 cases were later confirmed at Southlake's unit at the Reactivation Care Centre in Toronto.
In total, four patients and four health-care workers tested positive.
Yesterday, an outbreak was declared at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, the second hospital in York Region to have COVID-19 cases confirmed. Five health-care workers on the fourth floor in a surgical unit of the D wing have tested positive.
In Ontario, outbreaks have been declared at 77 hospitals, and 52 patients have died. More than 640 patients and health-care workers have been infected with COVID-19 at a hospital.
