“We ask people to not visit for now. We do know that people do want to come and see loved ones, but we ask them to stay away, if at all possible,” PAPHR communications officer Doug Dahl said.
Visitors are asked to reschedule their visits until the outbreak is over. For urgent or compassionate reasons, however, visitors may report to the nursing station to receive instruction on how to limit exposure and the risk of transmission. They are asked to visit only one resident within 24 hours.
“We can make some arrangements if they are coming to visit. We will ask them to be extremely careful in where they go,” Dahl said. “Use proper hand hygiene, and if they are ill at all, we do ask that they stay away.”
Five residents are currently showing symptoms, which began last week.
“There were several people showing very similar symptoms within a short period of time in that facility,” Dahl said.
Individuals who are showing symptoms are being isolated at the 34-bed facility in Shellbrook. According to Dahl, the illness has not been determined.
“That’s why testing will be taking place,” he said. “We don’t know if it’s influenza or something else.”
There is no projected timeframe for how long the restrictions will last.
“As long as people are showing symptoms, we are likely to keep (the restrictions in place),” Dahl said. “It could be a number of days, but it’s difficult to say.”
