Universal COVID-19 testing for residents and staff at Simcoe-Muskoka's long-term care homes is around halfway completed, according to the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit.
Close to 25 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in Simcoe-Muskoka — 87 of 360 —are related to institutional outbreaks, officials say.
On a conference call with reporters on Friday, medical officer of health Dr. Charles Gardner said there are 31 sites in Simcoe-Muskoka that are being assessed. Tests at those sites must be done by May 15.
Once completed, Gardner said the health unit will have tested around 7,800 people.
"This is part of a broader strategy to safeguard our long-term care facilities," he said, adding teams have also been created through local hospitals and other health-care organizations to do the testing as well as to assess infection-control measures at each facility.
"At this point, we're about halfway done," Gardner said. "Sixteen of the facilities have been completed, with the staff and residents tested and awaiting results."
As of Friday, tests have been done for 2,028 staff and 1,678 residents in the region.
Testing at another dozen long-term care facilities in the region will be completed next week, Gardner said.
There are currently six outbreaks declared at long-term care facilities or retirement homes in Simcoe-Muskoka, including Owen Hill Care Community (13 staff, 12 residents), Whispering Pines Retirement Residence (one staff, one resident), and Allandale Station Retirement Residence (one resident), all of which are located in Barrie. The others are Bradford Valley Care Community (11 staff members, 35 residents), Bayview Retirement Home (one staff, one resident) in Waubaushene, and Muskoka Traditions (one resident).
Gardner said testing has been completed for both Owen Hill and Bradford Valley, with all results coming back negative for all additional staff and residents at those two sites. Tests have also been completed at Bayview as of last Monday, but results are still coming in.
At Whispering Pines, Gardner said tests results have also come back negative for all other staff and residents at the Letitia Street facility.
Testing at both Allandale Station and Muskoka Traditions was completed on Wednesday, with results pending.
Gardner said he hopes public health officials are making progress in regard to outbreaks at long-term care facilities.
"We're certainly doing all that we can to protect these homes," he said. "In the past week, we've had a substantial increase in the number of homes affected, but for the most part, most of them have had very few numbers of cases.
"I'm hopeful that we're beginning to round the bend on this, but we need to be absolutely vigilant on it," the doctor added.
Gardner also confirmed staff from Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) are helping out in long-term care facilities.
"There is a challenge about having a sufficient number of staff at a particular facility," said Gardner, who added facilities can get into a "critical issue" if a significant number of staff are off sick, have been in contact with someone who has the virus, or fearful of their work environment.
Gardner confirmed those RVH staff members, which he characterized as around five, are helping at Owen Hill Care Community as support.
Two outbreaks, at Woods Park Care Centre in Barrie and at an unnamed group home in Bradford, have also been declared over in the last few days.
There have been 25 deaths in the region attributed to COVID-19.
