Written By PAULA BROWN

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

Headwaters Health Care Centre has reported the death of two patients who tested positive for COVID-19, as the local hospital continues to face an outbreak of the virus. 

Three patients in the medical in-patient unit (F-wing) of the hospital had tested positive for COVID-19, according to Headwaters press release last Friday (Dec. 18).

Two patients, one with hospital acquired COVID-19, and another who acquired he virus in the community have also died. 

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) reported two deaths related to COVID-19 in Dufferin County last week. WDGPH communications specialist Danny Williamson said that the individuals were a 56 year-old man and a 90 year-old man. 

Kim Delahunt, President and CEO, at Headwaters Health Care Centre has confirmed that the two deaths reported by Public Health were the same as those reported by the local hospital. 

Four staff members in the F-wing have tested positive for hospital acquired COVID-19, and at the time of print are self-isolating, as well as three other staff members. The hospital said five F-wing staff members are self-monitoring at work. 

Headwaters Health Care Centre's Occupational Health team and Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner as well as Public Health have conducted investigations to identify linkages or sources for transmission. 

“We have not found the source of this outbreak and continue to work with Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health,” said Delahunt.  

“Sometimes there is a very clear path and sometimes you can't exactly match the point where it originated, to the outbreak,” said Williamson. 

An outbreak was declared at the hospital by WDGPH on Dec. 4 following four positive cases of COVID-19 in the F-wing. An outbreak is declared in facilities such as hospitals when there is one or more confirmed case of the virus within its walls. 

Headwaters Emergency Department, ambulatory care services, and scheduled surgeries are not impacted by the outbreak. 

According to Headwaters the earliest the hospital can be declared out of an outbreak is Dec. 24.