The COVID19 outbreak at Emmanuel House is over. The outbreak had affected six staff members and three residents. Good Shepherd closed the hospice to new admissions and hired a professional cleaning service to complete a deep cleaning with hospital-grade disinfectant. The outbreak was declared over by Hamilton Public Health on May 1, and all six staff members have been cleared to return to work.
In a release Good Shepherd said, “All decisions concerning the ongoing operation of the hospice were made in consultation with Hamilton Public Health and based on provincial guidelines. Emmanuel House staff will screen and swab new patients before admission. All visitors will be screened each time they arrive at the hospice and will be supported in complying with essential guidelines regarding use of personal protective equipment, physical distancing and hand hygiene.”
Visitor access to Emmanuel House will continue to be limited to support infection prevention strategies, while balancing the urgent need to allow families to be together at end of life.
Emmanuel House staff are screened twice a day and follow best practices and infection control guidelines on the use of personal protective equipment, enhanced cleaning and diligent hand hygiene.
“This is an emotional journey for everyone, especially our frontline workers, residents and their loved ones,” said Maria Bau-Coote, director of hospice palliative care services. “We thank all our staff for their dedication to caring for our hospice residents in the face of this health crisis.”
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