Health Care Facility Outbreaks
When a higher-than-average number of people who live and work in a health care facility are sick with similar symptoms. Visitors entering may be at risk of getting sick or taking the illness home to others.
Current Outbreaks
| Facility / Unit | Declared | Organism | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Emerald Retirement Residence 5807 Ferry St., Niagara Falls Entire Facility 905-358-2500 |
February 14, 2019 | Influenza A | Respiratory | Visiting recommendations |
Precautions Taken During an Outbreak
When a health care facility has an outbreak, the following measures are put into place to help decrease the spread of illness:
- Keeping sick residents in their rooms
- Keeping residents that are not sick on their own units
- No group activities
- Increased housekeeping on the unit or throughout the facility
- Limiting visitors
- Visitors to visit only their family member(s)
Visiting a Health Care Facility During an Outbreak
- Do not visit if you are ill
- Check in at the reception or front desk upon arrival
- Clean your hands before entering and exiting the building and before and after visiting
- Visit only your family member
- Limit foods that you bring into a facility for your family members to eat, spoiled food can cause illness
- Adhere to all infection control measures provided to you by the facility
- Make sure your routine vaccinations are up to date
- Everyone in the family should get their flu shot every year. If you are protected from the flu you cannot pass it on to loved ones.
Prevent the Spread of Infection
We work with facilities and provide infection prevention and control best practices to prevent outbreaks.
Follow these steps to help stop the spread of the infection.
For more information, call 905-688-8248 ext. 7330 or 1-888-505-6074 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.).
© Niagara Region - 1815 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Thorold, ON, L2V 4T7 - Phone: 905-980-6000, Toll-free: 1-800-263-7215
