Two COVID-19 outbreaks declared at Brampton Civic Hospital rehab departments

There are currently no new admissions to two rehab departments at Brampton Civic Hospital due to outbreaks of COVID-19.

According to the William Osler Health System’s website, the health system and Peel Public Health have declared outbreaks of the virus in both the Rehab A and Rehab B units at Brampton Civic.

Both units have been closed to new admissions in collaboration with Osler’s Infection Prevention and Control team. Rehab A declared an outbreak of the virus on Aug. 29, while Rehab B followed suit on Sept. 1.

Osler stressed that the hospital is still safe for patients and visitors during the outbreaks.

“Our hospitals remain open and safe places to receive care,” Osler said in the outbreak alert, adding that staff and physicians are advised to monitor and report any symptoms.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says COVID-19 infections were slowly starting to rise again in Canada, with September data putting the test positivity rate at 11.6 per cent nationally, up more than 3 points from 8.4 per cent on Aug. 5.

Canada’s first known case of the Omicron variant BA.2.86 was detected in British Columbia last month, making Canada the seventh country in the world to report its presence.

Osler says COVID-19 outbreaks are declared based on guidance set out by the province, when two or more individuals test positive for acute respiratory illness with any common link, and at least one of which is a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case.