OTTAWA -- Two employees at the Hull Hospital have tested positive for COVID-19.

The CISSS de l’Outaouais provided no other details about the two employees.

In a statement, the health unit says “in order to prevent any spread and to take all the necessary measures to protect the current staff, we have placed 11 employees in isolation, effective immediately.”

There are 18 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Outaouais health region, which includes Gatineau.

The CISSS de l’Outaouais says it is conducting “rigorous investigations” to establish every contact the two employees of the hospital have had, including patients, family members and other health care workers.

With two employees testing positive for COVID-19, and another 11 employees in isolation, the CISSS de l’Outaouais says a contingency plan will be put in place so that nurses from the Gatineau Hospital and other facilities will be available to assist the understaffed Hull Hospital.

Cold, warm and hot zones are also being set up in emergency rooms and care units across the region to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The CISSS de l’Outaouais says patients coming in for an emergency situation other than the COVID-19 will be placed in the cold zone, patients showing symptoms of novel coronavirus placed in the warm zone, and patients affected with COVID-19 in the hot zone.