North Bay Harvey's to reopen after E. coli outbreak

North Bay's medical officer of health has given the go-ahead for the reopening of a Harvey's restaurant linked to an E. coli outbreak in the northern Ontario city.

The restaurant, which closed Oct 12, is set to reopen Wednesday after all testing of food and environmental samples came back negative for contamination. The restaurant has been thoroughly sanitized, say public health inspectors.

"We extend our appreciation to the owner of Harvey's North Bay for their co-operation throughout this investigation," medical officer of health Dr. Catherine Whiting said in a release Tuesday. "We recognize this has been a difficult situation for all involved, particularly those who were ill, as well as the owner and staff of Harvey's, North Bay."

As of Tuesday, there were 251 people with confirmed, probable or suspected cases of E. coli 0157:H7, and of those, 50 have been confirmed.

One child remains in the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto with a complication of E. coli: hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause acute and chronic kidney failure, particularly in young children.