COVID-19 outbreak declared at Iroquois Falls hospital
The Porcupine Health Unit has declared an outbreak at the Anson General Hospital in Iroquois Falls and says it is working with the hospital to ensure the safety of its staff and patients.
The 54-bed facility services communities in the immediate area and provides both emergency and outpatient care.
"Affected individuals have been given individual guidance for monitoring, isolation and testing as appropriate," wrote PHU in a Jan.15 news release.
"The health unit will continue to work with the hospital setting to provide infection prevention and control assessments and support the implementation of enhanced public health measures as necessary."
PHU but did not disclose the number of positive cases or if the cases were among staff and, or patients. Public health officials have not confirmed if there are any patients in hospital with COVID-19 or due to COVID-19.
PHU reported 880 active cases Friday afternoon with another 40 added on Saturday.
Of those 40 new cases, 16 are being reported from Timmins, 11 from the James and Hudson Bay district, 5 from the Cochrane, Matheson, Iroquois Falls & Smooth Rock Falls area, 4 from Kapuskasing, Opasatika, Val Rita-Harty, Moonbeam & Fauquier-Strickland area, and 4 from the Hearst & Hornepayne region.
It is not clear how many of the 5 reported from the Cochrane, Matheson, Iroquois Falls & Smooth Rock Falls area are related to the Anson General Hospital.
A hospital outbreak in Ontario is define as two or more laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases (patients and/or staff) within a specified area (unit/floor/service) within a 14-day period where both cases could have reasonably acquired their infection in the hospital.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Speaker kicks Poilievre out of Commons over unparliamentary comments
Speaker Greg Fergus kicked Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre out of the House of Commons during question period today.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Freeland previews omnibus budget bill, proposed capital gains tax change left out
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
Judge raises threat of jail in hush money trial as he holds Trump in contempt, fines him US$9,000
Donald Trump was held in contempt of court Tuesday and fined US$9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his New York hush money case. And if he does it again, the judge warned, he could be jailed.
Court upholds Milwaukee police officer's firing for posting racist memes after Sterling Brown arrest
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a former Milwaukee police officer was properly fired for posting racist memes related to the arrest of an NBA player that triggered a public outcry.
Witness details deadly wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A driver who witnessed a wrong-way police pursuit on Highway 401 moments before a fatal crash said he was hoping the chase would have been called off before lives were lost.