Outbreak at Prince Albert hospital declared over after virus contained to lone patient

A COVID-19 outbreak affecting a single patient at Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert is now under control, health officials say. 

No other patients and no staff have since tested positive for the novel coronavirus, despite the original infected patient's having been in the hospital for more than a week before health care workers knew the person was infected, according to an update from the Saskatchewan Health Authority on Friday morning.

"This is a definite testimony to diligent personal protective equipment use and good environmental maintenance by all the teams," medical health officer Dr. Khami Chokani said in a news release.

Meanwhile, a worse outbreak at Lloydminster Hospital has been declared stable, prompting the Saskatchewan government to rethink its plan to exclude the community from Phase 1 of its plan to reopen segments of the province's economy.

Lloydminster will now enter Phase 1 — which launched elsewhere in the province except for La Loche on May 4 — this coming Monday.

Thirteen people at the hospital had tested positive for the virus. However, earlier this week, the government said the outbreak was a reaching a "manageable situation."