Second COVID-19 outbreak declared at Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre

Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) says a second outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared at Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre (JHCC) after two patients tested positive for the virus.

The outbreak was declared Dec. 4 in the hospital's B3 medicine unit, which is currently closed for admissions, according to an HHS media release issued Friday evening.

HHS said both patients, who were in private rooms during their stay, are now in isolation.

The hospital has two outbreaks in separate units.

An outbreak was declared on Thursday in the hospital's E3 medicine unit after three people - two staff members and one patient - tested positive for the virus.

The two outbreaks now involve six patients," the release reads.

No visitors are allowed in the E3 and B3 units, except on compassionate grounds," HHS said. Until the outbreaks are declared over, staff working on E3 and B3 will not work on other units in the hospital.

There are 25 ongoing outbreaks in Hamilton, the largest at Chartwell Willowgrove long-term-care home in Ancaster where 88 people - 57 residents, 29 staff and two visitors - are infected.

Forty-two new infections were reported in Hamilton on Friday, bringing the total number of active cases in the city to 537.

Kate McCullough is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: kmccullough@thespec.com