More than 100 hospital staff in self-isolation, as Chatham-Kent reports 2 new COVID-19 cases

More than 100 staff members at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance hospitals are in self-isolation after the March Break holiday, as the public health unit reports two new COVID-19 cases.

"We have 100 staff and 17 physicians who are currently on self-isolation at home," said Lori Marshall, president andCEO at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.

Marshall said there are about 1,400 staff members employed at the hospitals in Chatham and Wallaceburg, and 250 physicians.

"We're currently experiencing lower occupancy levels because we've been doing everything that we can to help patients to be discharged home or to other alternative settings, and we've also really curtailed our elective surgeries," Marshall said. "We've been able to cope without having those staff present."

There are exceptions for health-care workers who have travelled outside the country to continue their work while self-monitoring for any COVID-19 symptoms. However, Marshall said their facility opted to not have those workers come in.

"We just felt that because we're able to cope without them, that we're trying to create what we call the 'clean team' sitting at home," she said. "They'llbe ready to come back and work at the end of their 14 days."

Most of those workers are halfway through their isolations now, added Marshall.

COVID-19 cases in Chatham-Kent

The twopeople who have most recentlytested positive for COVID-19 in Chatham-Kentare men,aged 40 and 45, who live in a residential home, according to Chatham-Kent Public Health.

The two men both had a fever on March 20, were taken to hospital and tested. They immediately went into self-isolation that same day, "at an agency home that was not occupied by anyone," according to a media release issued by Community Living Chatham-Kent on Friday.

Both men will remain in self-isolation until Friday, April 3. The men are doing well, said Chatham-Kent Public Health.

Officials are reaching out to close contacts of the men, directing those people to self-isolate for 14 days.

"An increase in positive cases was not unexpected," said Chatham-Kent's medical officer of health, Dr. David Colby, in a news release.

"Our goal is to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community. We need all Chatham-Kent residents and businesses to do their part. Please continue to practice social distancing, follow good hand hygiene, and avoid unnecessary trips outside of your home."

Chatham-Kent now has a total offour confirmed cases of COVID-19.

"In addition to that, we have about 15 individuals where theyhave been swabbed over the course of the last several days and we're just awaiting those results," said Marshall.

For the most up to date, local information for Chatham-Kent, visitwww.ckpublichealth.com/covid19.