October 29, 2020

GRANITE RIDGE COVID TESTING UNDERWAY AFTER STAFF MEMBER HAS COVID

GRAVENHURST — COVID testing began today on residents and staff at the Granite Ridge retirement home where a lockdown is underway after a staff member was reported to have tested positive two days ago, says the health unit.

It’s expected that a quarantine of a least two weeks will be imposed until test results are back, an all-clear on health and safety issues is issued and isolating measures can be lifted and life return to as normal as possible as the second wave of the pandemic increases.

Few details are known or are being shared publicly by the home or its administration staff who weren’t responding to media queries.

Repeated calls and messages yesterday and today, Thursday Oct. 29, by MuskokaTODAY.com to the home for comment were not returned, following Tuesday’s report by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit of an institutional outbreak.

No one is saying what job the worker did or where in the facility the person was employed.

Was the person a PSW, food server, administrator or other worker like a cleaner.

And whether the worker could have infected residents or other staff in the four-storey home.

Or what other effects it is having on current and future operations.

This as long-term care homes across Canada are at the epicentre of the pandemic coronavirus cases and more than 10,000 national deaths.

And as news comes today that the province of Ontario has called in the Niagara Health System to assist the Millennium Trail Manor — another privately operated facility in Niagara — deal with a major outbreak there.

Meanwhile, the tests at the Gravenhurst home are just part of a lockdown at the private LTC on Bethune Drive, which have led to a number of new restrictions and changes for everyone living and working there.

Public access for family and visitors is restricted and residents can’t leave, pending test results and an all-clear.

Residents are dining one at a table and meals are now being served in two shifts — allowing for cleaning between settings.

Elevators are limited to one person per ride.

Meanwhile, Granite Ridge has plans to provide flu shots for residents Nov. 16.

Granite Ridge is part of a small chain of private retirement home, including Champlain Manor and Birchmere Residence in Orillia.