As long-term care outbreaks of COVID-19 increase in Ontario, the region’s health unit is keeping a close eye on the nursing and retirement homes in Simcoe County and Muskoka.
One long-term care facility, Bradford Valley, is experiencing an outbreak that has infected 20 residents and led to the deaths of three others.
There are long-term care facilities around the region currently in respiratory outbreaks of unknown origin, including homes in Collingwood, Barrie, and Orillia, but COVID-19 tests done at the facilities have come back negative.
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit website has a list of current outbreaks at long-term care homes in the region.
The website states the Simcoe County facilities currently in respiratory or suspect respiratory outbreaks are Bay Haven Senior Care Community (Collingwood), Oak Terrace (Orillia), Simcoe Terrace Retirement Centre (Barrie), Simcoe Manor (Beeton), Creedan Valley Care Community (Creemore), Sara Vista (Stayner), Victoria Village Manor (Barrie), and Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care geriatric unit (Penetanguishene).
However, Gardner stressed there has been COVID-19 testing done at all those facilities and all results thus far have come back negative.
“All of our lab tests for long-term care facilities include COVID-19 tests,” said Gardner during a media briefing today. “It’s important we keep testing and testing broadly … we have to keep looking, because even with a negative test, we might miss it.”
There have been three deaths reported in the last four days from the COVID-19 outbreak at Bradford Valley, and there are 20 more residents confirmed positive for the virus.
The outbreak at Bradford Valley was declared April 4. Last week, Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health for Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, said the residents were showing relatively mild symptoms. Since then, one has been hospitalized and three have died.
“It is distressing they have progressed like this,” said Gardner. “Perhaps I should not have been surprised, given what we have seen.”
He told the media today the health unit is working with Bradford Valley and Southlake Regional Health Centre to test all residents and employees at the facility. There are approximately 250 residents at the facility and all have been tested now and await results. Staff are still being tested.
“That will result in over 500 people being tested,” said Gardner. “It’s an unusual thing to do, but we have done so because of the large number of cases.”
In addition to the 23 residents confirmed positive for the virus, there have also been seven cases confirmed in staff members.
Ontario’s chief medical officer of health is aware of the mass testing being done and Gardner said the Bradford home is about one of five in the province that has done or is doing testing for every resident and staff member regardless of whether they have symptoms.
Bradford Valley is the only long-term care facility in Simcoe County currently in a COVID-19 outbreak.
An outbreak is declared after a single positive COVID-19 result in a staff member or resident at a facility.
Previously, a staff member at an Orillia facility - Spencer House - tested positive for the virus, but the staff and residents who were tested were negative for COVID-19.
Gardner ruled the Spencer House outbreak over as of Saturday, April 11.
