Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Mark Joffe said an investigation has determined meatloaf and vegan loaf meals served for lunch on August 29 likely had the E. coli leading to the infections at certain Calgary daycares. .“Unfortunately, neither of these items could be tested, as they were either eaten or discarded before this outbreak was identified,” said Joffe at a Wednesday press conference. .“While we now have a likely source, what we do not know exactly is what was contaminated or how.” .The number of cases of E. coli in Calgary daycares started to climb on September 6 as health officials scrambled to contain an outbreak that sickened many children. .READ MORE: Dozens of E. coli cases at Calgary daycare centres, 15 kids in hospital.Alberta Health Services (AHS) issued closure orders for 11 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 said there are 351 lab-confirmed cases and 37 secondary cases as of Wednesday. He added four children remain in the hospital. .For those four children, he said he knows they are receiving outstanding care at Alberta Children’s Hospital. The good news is the number of new infections has plateaued and most of the children have been cleared to return to daycare. .With this investigation, he said he does not want to speculate about the what or how, as it is ongoing. He asked for a third party external review to validate findings, ensure AHS did not miss any details and confirm the analysis of the data is complete. .When the report is completed, it will be made public. He said AHS is “doing everything in our power to answer as many questions as possible, and we will share our complete findings as soon as possible.” .Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the government will create an external review panel chaired by former Calgary Police Service (CPS) chief Rick Hanson to conduct an analysis of policies and food safety practices to keep children safe. .“Throughout this difficult time, parents, the broader public and members of our government raised several difficult issues,” said Smith. .“And that’s why Mr. Hanson will be joined by Alberta parents, childcare operators, food service operators and food safety and public health experts.” .She requested the panel review the inspection process, including the consequences for food operators when they repeat violations, safety training for kitchen staff and barriers to accessing it. In addition, she asked the panel to look at food handling requirements, such as temperature controls, storage and transit. .Smith followed up by saying she does not know if CPS is investigating the shared kitchen that served the contaminated meals. .“They’ll have to make their own decisions as to whether this rises to the level of investigation,” she said. .“I did also see the charge the City of Calgary issued is quite serious.” .The fine the City of Calgary issued could be up to $120,000. She said she will “leave it to the different orders of government and police service to see if they take any more action.” .The City of Calgary charged Fueling Minds for operating without a business licence on Wednesday. .READ MORE: BREAKING: Kitchen behind E. coli outbreak charged for operating without licence.Fueling Minds is affiliated with daycare operator Fueling Brains Academy, which is at the centre of the outbreak. .Although it had a provincial daycare operator’s licence, it had been offering catering services to five third party daycares, which required a supplemental city business licence.
