ARNPRIOR – Arnprior Regional Health (ARH) is suspending visits to the inpatient unit because of an outbreak of a respiratory illness the hospital announced today (Jan. 8).

ARH CEO Eric Hanna says it will be several days before the restriction can be lifted.

“We won’t be allowing visitors to the unit until such time as public health says we can,” Hanna told Oldies 107.7 FM today (Jan. 8). “Basically, until eight days has passed where there hasn’t been any other new people diagnosed with the influenza.”

Hanna says this only applies to patients who have been admitted to hospital and not to the Emergency Department. Hanna says they may also make exceptions on compassionate grounds such as for family members of patients who are terminally ill. 

It’s not clear yet how many patients have the flu in the inpatient unit. Eastern Ontario is currently in the middle of a flu outbreak. Currently, 19 per cent of emergency room visits in Renfrew County are due to flu-like symptoms.

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