Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: West Haldimand General Hospital Taking Precautions for Hospital and Community Safety –

No Visitor Access as of Friday, March 20, 2020 

News: 

Effective Friday, March 20, 2020, there will be no visitor access at West Haldimand General Hospital. For compassionate reasons, there may be some exceptions so visitors seeking access to a loved one receiving palliative care are encouraged to phone ahead to the hospital to discuss access. 

These actions are being taken to ensure the safety of our health care workers and patients receiving care and to limit the spread of infection. Active screening will continue at the ED entrance at both hospitals for new patients, hospital staff, physicians and other essential service providers. 

WHGH is following Public Health guidelines to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Ontario. For example, if a patient has just returned from international travel, presents at the ED for other health reasons and is showing no signs of symptoms at screening, then that patient will be required to be placed in isolation for 14 days upon hospital admission. 

West Haldimand General Hospital continues to monitor the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. Please visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus for the latest information. 

Contact Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-000 or your local public health unit if you’re experiencing symptoms of the 2019 novel coronavirus.  Do not call 911 unless it is an emergency. 

What do I need to know before coming to the Emergency Department?

When you arrive at the Emergency Department, it is important to immediately let the person who greets you at Triage know about any international travel in the past 14 days, whether you or a family member have been in contact with an ill person who recently travelled internationally or been in contact with a person with a known case of novel coronavirus.

What do I need to know before coming to a clinic appointment?

Most non-urgent surgeries, procedures and clinic visits have been cancelled.  If you do have a clinic appointment, test or other procedure scheduled, and have any respiratory symptoms, please call the clinic before the appointment to ask if you should still come to the hospital. It is important to immediately let the person registering you know about any recent international travel, whether you or a family member have been in contact with an ill person who travelled internationally or been in contact with a person with a known case of novel coronavirus. 

What are the symptoms?

If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms and have recently travelled internationally, please contact your clinic or health-care provider before coming to the hospital:

• Fever

• Respiratory symptoms or flu-like symptoms (i.e. new cough, runny nose, sore throat)

• Difficulty breathing

• Pneumonia

   “The safety of our health care, hospital and nursing home community is our priority. I want to take this opportunity to thank our team of physicians and staff who are doing their best to take care of our patients, while supporting each other during this time of uncertainty. We ask for the community’s patience and understanding as this situation evolves and we respond to these changing circumstances.”

  -- Kelly Isfan, President, Norfolk General Hospital and West Haldimand General Hospital