Additional daycares ordered to close after more children test positive for E. coli

Six additional daycares in the Calgary area have been ordered to close by Alberta Health Services after children who attend the facilities tested positive for E. coli.

In a statement sent just before midnight on Saturday, the health agency said some of the newly infected children are connected to daycares from the original outbreak, but it does not yet know exactly how they were infected.

The health agency did not confirm how many children tested positive.

An AHS spokesperson told CBC News on Saturday morning that it is likely the infections are due to secondary transmissions, but an investigation is ongoing.

None of the facilities are connected to the central kitchen shared by the original 11 daycares where the outbreak is believed to have occurred.

"To all the parents involved in this terrible situation – we hear you and understand what you are going through," Dr. Mark Joffe, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, said in the statement.

"However, it is crucial for parents who have children who attend these daycares to follow the guidance being given to them by health-care professionals."

The additional daycares that issued a closure order are the following:

Vik Academy, one of the original facilities linked to the shared kitchen that's believed to be the source of the outbreak, was also closed again.

More to come...