Waypoint has been meeting daily with the Health Unit since the outbreak was declared January 22, 2021 and increased safety precautions have been in place since that time. The Horizon Program is located in a separate building and the hospital continued to facilitate admissions through its isolation unit. There have been no additional staff or patients with positive test results on Horizon or anywhere in the hospital reported since February 15, 2021.

“I cannot share my appreciation enough to our staff who have worked so hard and made sacrifices these last weeks to manage the outbreak and continue to provide quality care and compassion to our patients under such difficult circumstances,” said Carol Lambie, President and CEO. “I again express our deepest condolences and support to those who lost loved ones and also wish to share our thanks for the outpouring of gifts and heartfelt messages to patients and staff from their colleagues, our partners, community and local businesses.”

During this challenging time, staff followed multiple safety precautions including staff having to self-isolate from their families. This not only helped to control the spread at Waypoint and to their families, but is a testament to their commitment to keeping our broader community safe.

“Thank you to the families of our staff and patients, our partners at Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital for the rapid testing, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre for providing Infection Prevention and Control auditing, and the Simcoe/Muskoka District Health Unit for the continuous support,” added Lambie. “Our hospital is committed to continuous assessment of our precautions and making any necessary enhancements to protect our patients and staff.”

The heightened safety measures across all programs and locations at Waypoint continue as the B.1.1.7 variant of concern and positive cases have increased in our region and locally. Wellness activities for staff are available and supporting staff as the hospital moves out of outbreak and continues to be on high alert is a priority. The Waypoint Research Institute has two research studies underway with Georgian College to monitor the effects of the pandemic on healthcare workers, as well as the #StopCOVID project which is finding additional ways to learn from this unprecedented pandemic to protect patients and staff now and in the future.