Three residents have now died as part of a COVID-19 outbreak at Simcoe Manor.
On Tuesday, Jane Sinclair, general manager of health and emergency services at the County of Simcoe provided an update on the outbreak at the long-term care home in Beeton.
As of Tuesday, 24 residents and seven staff have tested positive for the virus.
Two deaths occurred over the weekend at the facility. One, an 88-year-old man, was confirmed as COVID-19 positive over the weekend. A 92-year-old woman who died over the weekend was also confirmed on Tuesday as COVID-19 positive.
A third resident, a 98-year-old man, died on Monday night and was also confirmed as COVID-19 positive.
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and the loved ones of our residents. We know this is a very difficult time for them,” said Sinclair.
Of the 24 resident cases, Sinclair said 17 are asymptomatic.
The cause of transmission has not yet been determined.
“The health unit is following up with every case in collaboration with our team, but we have not yet identified the initial case in this outbreak at this time,” said Sinclair.
All 126 residents were tested on Friday. All 171 staff were tested Monday on-site. Sinclair said only a few test results are still pending.
“There is a lot of testing happening in the province,” said Sinclair. “The laboratories are inundated with tests right now. We are being prioritized. They are working to get them back to us as quickly as they can.”
Staff have been tested for COVID-19 every two weeks for months as part of the county’s safety protocols. The last testing date was Sept. 16, and all staff members tested negative at that time.
Extensive protocols remain in place to stop the spread within the home, Sinclair said.
Protocols include temporary cancellations of visitors (with some exceptions), enhanced cleaning measures, advanced screening, cohorting staff to individual units during each shift and a temporary hold on all new resident admissions and internal transfers.
Staff are now required to wear full PPE including gloves, gowns, masks and face shields upon entering units, and all residents are isolated in their rooms for precautionary reasons, with tray service for meals.
Residents are using disposable plates, cups and cutlery for the duration of the outbreak to provide additional infection control safety.
The adjacent Simcoe Village is not in outbreak.
