UPDATE: This article has been edited to clarify that 80 per cent of COVID-19 patients at the CCH are not fully vaccinated rather than being simply not vaccinated.
CORNWALL, Ontario – The Cornwall Community Hospital (CCH) announced that it would be implementing visitor restrictions as of Monday, Sept. 27.
In reaction to rising numbers of COVID-19 infections in the region, and in hospital admissions, the CCH will limit admitted patients to having one essential visitor during scheduled visiting hours. Patients attending the Emergency Department, or day clinic visits and procedures will not be allowed to have visitors with them barring exceptional circumstances.
“Earlier this summer, we safely eased our visitation restrictions when the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community was low. Our community is again seeing a rise in cases, and it has become necessary to restrict the flow of foot traffic coming in to the hospital to protect our staff, physicians, and vulnerable patients,” said Jeanette Despatie, President and CEO.
According to the CCH, Cornwall’s COVID-19 Assessment Centre, which is located on the hospital grounds, is reporting a positivity rate of seven per cent, one of the highest in the province.
As of Thursday, Sept. 23, there were 10 patients admitted to the CCH with COVID-19, an 80 per cent of those patients were not fully vaccinated.
“Although staff are working hard to screen visitors and patients for COVID-19, the best preventative measure continues to be vaccination. Being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 has been proven to be effective at lowering the risk of being infected yourself or infecting others. By being fully vaccinated, you’re protecting yourself and your loved ones, especially those who are sick or in hospital,” reads a statement from the CCH.
The CCH further states that in the coming weeks it will be requiring proof of vaccination from visitors. The province of Ontario began requiring proof of vaccination for guests attending certain settings including restaurants, gyms, and other recreational activities.
“The fourth wave is here, and it’s important that we do everything we can to protect our staff, physicians, and vulnerable patients who may be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19,” said Despatie.
For the full list of visitor restrictions, please visit the CCH’s website.
