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The Health Service Executive has confirmed that outpatient appointments were canceled at St Columcille Hospital in Loughlinstown, Dublin due to a Covid-19 outbreak.
The HSE said patients have been notified and virtual clinics continue.
Previously, the hospital said that its Medical Evaluation Unit would be closed for two days starting tonight due to the coronavirus outbreak.
In a statement, he said that patients requiring care will be redirected to St Vincent Hospital in Elm Park or St Michael Hospital in Dun Laoghaire.
The Medical Evaluation Unit provides treatment to those who have been referred to the hospital by a GP with symptoms including chest infection, pneumonia, fever, deep vein thrombosis, and urinary tract infection.
The statement says 31 patients at the hospital have tested positive for Covid-19 and that while progress has been made to stabilize the situation, “continued work will be required to provide additional capacity.”
Fifty-eight members of the nursing staff are unavailable because they have the disease or are a close contact on a case. Some of the staff are expected to return to work early next week.
A total of 454 people are employed at St Columcille Hospital.
The Medical Evaluation Unit is separate from the Injury Unit, which remains open to treat people with conditions including head injuries, broken bones, sprains, and strains.
Clinical director says virus outbreak is ‘a big problem’
The clinical director of St Columcille Hospital said that the Covid-19 outbreak is “a big problem” and shows that there is no room for complacency with the virus.
Dr Donal O’Shea said, “You can see that the writing is on the wall” when an asymptomatic patient tests positive, as the level of precautions taken would not be the same as if they had the disease.
There are four wards in the hospital, Dr. O’Shea said, and one of them is exclusively for Covid-19.
There is a contact room nearby, another room is closed and the remaining room “is about to continue operating,” he added.
Dr. O’Shea said the hospital is hopeful that it will be able to reestablish services after the 48-hour closure of the Medical Evaluation Unit, as the number of patients who test positive has slightly decreased and people who test positive are close contacts.
He said that St Columcille Hospital is 250 years old and the infrastructure makes infection prevention and control a real challenge, but the hospital has been well managed.
The outbreak is disappointing, but underlines that there can be no complacency, he added.
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