COVID-19 restrictions to remain in place at Waterloo-Wellington hospitals

As Ontario opens up, COVID-19 restrictions including masking and proof of vaccination will remain in place at hospitals in Waterloo Region and Wellington County until at least April 27.

In a joint media release issued Tuesday, Waterloo-Wellington hospitals said health care workers and visitors will continue to be asked to show proof of vaccination in order to enter hospital buildings, among other pandemic protections.

Ontario removed proof of vaccination requirements for all settings on March 1. But businesses and other settings and can choose to continue to require vaccine passports.

The province has said face coverings will be required in hospitals until April 27.

“Hospitals are not the same as a restaurant or movie theatre,” said Ron Gagnon, president and CEO of Grand River Hospital in Kitchener. “We have a number of very ill and vulnerable patients in our

buildings. Maintaining restrictions at our hospitals will help protect patients and staff. They also reduce the opportunity for outbreaks to occur in hospital settings which can limit our ability to continue providing, and ramping up care services.”

The hospitals said Waterloo Region continues to see higher rates of COVID-19 infection as indicated by wastewater analysis LINK.

“The pandemic is not over yet,” said Lee Fairclough, president of St. Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener and the Waterloo Wellington hospital regional lead for COVID-19 response. “We want to ensure that we continue following the steps that we know we need to take to protect vulnerable patients, and keep our staff healthy, working and able to provide care.”