CALGARY — An official for six Calgary daycares closed due to an E. coli outbreak says a deep cleaning of the facilities could take up to a week.

Alberta Health Services said Monday that up to 50 children arrived at hospitals in connection with the outbreak.

Six of the Fueling Brains daycare sites were issued a closure order until issues are resolved.

As well, AHS reported five additional sites that share a central kitchen are also part of the outbreak.

The provincial health delivery agency says 17 lab-confirmed cases have been linked to the outbreak, as well as 12 individuals hospitalized, and up to 50 children presenting to hospital.

In a statement, Lois Garcia, the vice-president of operations for Fueling Brains, said her deepest concerns and empathy are with everyone impacted by the outbreak and that a deep cleaning of the facilities could take anywhere from two days to a week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published September 5, 2023.

The Canadian Press