WATERLOO REGION HOSPITALS DEALING WITH OUTBREAKS

The president of a hospital in Southern Ontario’s Waterloo region says all three hospitals in the area are currently experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak, leading to a concern about the facilities’ ability to maintain services. Lee Fairclough, president of St. Mary’s General Hospital, says her facility declared an outbreak on Sunday that has been linked to five patients and two staff. Fairclough added that she’s concerned that the situation has the potential to affect hospital capacity and the ability to maintain their services, such as scheduled surgeries and other procedures. Waterloo public health officials declared an initial outbreak at the Grand River Hospital last month and another outbreak on Monday. An outbreak at the region’s Cambridge Memorial Hospital was declared on Nov. 13.