EMS says virus outbreak at paramedic station does not involve public
There's been an outbreak of the novel coronavirus at a facility dedicated to the region's emergency medical services.
Essex-windsor EMS announced on Tuesday that the health unit has declared an outbreak at one of its stations, but there was no interaction between paramedics and patients at the site, and the employees who tested positive have had no contact with patients or the public.
“All Essex-windsor EMS facilities are subject to heightened cleaning and disinfection practices,” the organization — operated by the County of Essex — stated in a news release.
To date, 10 local paramedics have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Essex-windsor EMS, all during the most recent second wave.
The organization assures that none of these cases were related to Essex-windsor EMS workplaces. “There is absolutely no evidence of patient-to-paramedic or paramedic-to-patient transmission of the virus.”
However, Essex-windsor EMS Chief Bruce Krauter said these recent paramedic cases should be a warning to the community that COVID-19 is “everywhere.”
“We need to treat every single person we meet as thought they are infected with COVID-19, because community transmission is rampant,” Krauter said.
“We also need to take individual precautions, because any of us could unwittingly be carrying and spreading this deadly virus. We need everyone to do their part to keep our health-care system from being overwhelmed.”
Essex-windsor EMS said residents can be confident anyone requiring urgent emergency care can call 911 and be treated safely, with professionalism.