submitted by Jane Adams
Winchester District Memorial Hospital (WDMH) is taking one more step in the gradual and safe removal of some COVID-19 precautions.
What’s not changing:
Staff will continue to wear masks when engaged in patient care. Masks will be required by everyone in clinical areas including patient rooms, Emergency Departments, clinic appointments and waiting rooms.
What’s changing:
Masks are no longer required in public areas outside of clinical areas such as hallways, elevators, and the cafeteria. This applies to staff, patients, and visitors. This is a low-risk step that provides people with more flexibility and helps us recover as a community.
For some, masking still makes sense for medical reasons and to protect loved ones. Individuals who prefer to wear a mask at all times are encouraged to do so. Masks will be available at hospital entrances.
The decision comes after having monitored various indicators to help determine the right timing for changes to be made:
- the wastewater markers have stabilized,
- the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has decreased,
- the number of COVID-19 outbreaks in our area has declined.
As a reminder, we ask visitors to stay home if they experience symptoms, except if they need to receive care.
If you would like to provide comments or suggestions about hospital services, please contact Cholly Boland, President and CEO, Winchester District Memorial Hospital at 613.774.1049 or by email at cboland@wdmh.on.ca.
