The COVID-19 outbreak at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre has finally been declared over.

Interim Director of Acute Care for the Yorkton area, Janna-Lea Yawney, says the outbreak in the 1st East and West inpatient medical units was declared over on Wednesday (Mar. 10), by the local SHA Medical Health Officer, Dr. Ashok Chhetri.

“We are extremely happy,” Yawney said. “That shows that all of the measures we implemented and put into place were beneficial and helped us work towards resolving any further viral transmission.”

The medical units were on Saskatchewan’s outbreak list since January 19th and it had been several weeks since the last case was connected to the outbreak.

The Intensive Care Unit was another area on the declared outbreak list from January 17 until February 13. The 2nd West Obstetrics and 2nd South Pediatrics and Medicine Units were considered suspected outbreaks, but were removed due to the fact there was no further transmission of the virus in those areas.

Going forward, Yawney says not much will change in terms of sanitation, proper hand hygiene, PPE use and screening patients, visitors and staff before they enter the facility.

“The one thing that has changed is out visitor restrictions have gone back to what we consider a level 1, which is, you know, (visitors) would have to be screened at the front, no different, and each patient is allowed a few visitors.” she explained, then clarified the number of people allowed to visit a patient is two.

In all, 99 cases were linked to the outbreak, which included 14 are patients, 45 secondary cases, 34 healthcare staff, 6 visitors and one death.

Secondary cases mean someone connected to a family member or there was transmission inside the facility.

(GX94)