Three Mississauga and Brampton hospitals dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks

Some hospital units in Mississauga and Brampton have stepped up COVID-19 precautions as outbreaks have been declared at Mississauga Hospital, Brampton Civic and Credit Valley Hospital this week.

According to Trillium Health Partners (THP), two patients in Mississauga Hospital’s neurosurgery unit have tested positive for COIVD-19.

The outbreak was declared on Monday (Dec. 27) and the unit is currently closed to admissions except for the 4J Surgical Spine unit, which will is on a heightened level of awareness.

“Additional precautions are being put in place for the safety of patients, staff and professional staff,” THP said in an update.

In Brampton, the Respirology unit of Brampton Civic was also placed on precautions as of Monday.

The unit is currently only admitting patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 with a confirmed positive PCR result, according to William Osler Health System.

Osler said medically necessary tests and transfers will continue for outbreak unit patients

There was also a COVID-19 outbreak declared in Mississauga’s the Credit Valley Hospital mental health unit on Wednesday (Dec. 29).

The unit was closed to admissions after THP said two patients in that unit also have tested positive for COVID-19, and both cases are “suspected to have been hospital acquired.”

The hospitals are all still open and admitting patients, with the exception of the closed units.

RELATED: Ontario reports more than 13,800 new COVID-19 cases

Osler and THP said they are taking extra precautions to protect patients and health care workers including:

• Enhanced screening cleaning of patient care equipment.
• Notifying patients and using the appropriate precautions to prevent transmission of the virus.
• Testing and monitoring staff, physicians and patients for COVID-19, as appropriate.
• Limiting staff members who normally work on multiple units to work on one unit only.

Outbreaks are declared based on guidance set out by the province and are defined as two or more individuals who test positive for acute respiratory illness with any common link, at least one of which is a laboratory confirmed COVID-19 case.

The number of Ontario’s new COVID-19 cases set a record for the second day in a row on Thursday as the province reported more than 13,800 new infections.

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health is expected to provide an update on COVID-19 at 3 p.m. on Thursday.

More than 90 per cent of Ontarians over the age of 12 have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while at least 88 per cent have received two doses.