Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Mark Joffe said he is encouraged by falling E. coli case counts and a sustained decrease in children requiring hospital care related to the outbreak at Calgary daycares. .“We’re also not seeing any significant spike in secondary cases,” said Joffe at a Tuesday press conference. .“This is a cause for cautious optimism as we move to what we hope will soon be the end of this extremely serious outbreak.” .The number of cases of E. coli in Calgary daycares climbed on September 6 as health officials scrambled to contain an outbreak that sickened many young children..READ MORE: Dozens of E. coli cases at Calgary daycare centres, 15 kids in hospital.AHS issued closure orders for 11 separate daycare facilities “until issues are resolved.”.“Families with children attending any of the locations listed below have been sent letters advising of the outbreak and are being asked to monitor for symptoms,” said AHS. .Joffe went on to say there have been 348 E. coli cases connected with this outbreak as of Tuesday. He added there have been 27 secondary cases, with no additional ones being confirmed in the last two days. .While secondary cases happened, it is expected in a large outbreak such as this. The aim of AHS is to limit the spread as much as possible. .He acknowledged eight children are receiving care in hospital — one less than Monday. With all of these children, he said they have hemolytic uremic syndrome and include two on dialysis. .The children with more severe illness are in stable condition and are responding to treatment. Healthcare workers continue to provide them with the best possible support. .Seven-hundred-and-seven children have been cleared to return to a daycare. Six daycares remain under closure or partial closure since Friday as instructed by AHS. .Joffe stressed the importance of parents to follow instructions from public health officials about what they should do before their children can return to daycare. He called it “crucial for parents with children that attend daycares to follow this guidance and the guidance that’s provided to them by healthcare professionals.” .If people’s daycares are closed, he said they should respect why it is done and keep their children at home. They should not go to another facility unless they have tested negative for E. coli, if they have no symptoms and if they have been given clearance from AHS. .Joffe concluded by expressing thoughts to anyone affected by this outbreak. He reassured Albertans their public health teams are doing all that they can to get to the bottom of it. .“My hope is that we will continue to see children recover and that their lives will soon return to normal,” he said. .Alberta Premier Danielle Smith fought back tears when speaking about the relief the provincial government will be providing to people affected by the E. coli outbreak at various Calgary daycares on Friday. .READ MORE: Emotional Smith offers supports to people affected by Calgary daycare E. coli outbreak.“What’s believed to have happened was a violation of food safety standards in a shared kitchen and undoubtedly a violation of parents’ faith in the system,” said Smith. .“When people trust their child to someone else, they expect their child will receive the best possible care.”
