5 PINES STAFF POSITIVE — MORE EXPECTED — AS 95 RESIDENTS ISOLATED IN ROOMS
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
BRACEBRIDGE — Five staff at The Pines LTC have tested positive for COVID-19, and the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has placed the home under outbreak status.
They say all staff who tested positive are symptomatic and are isolating at home.
The Pines staff is working with the health unit and will be following their guidance and that 95 residents are being isolated in their rooms as a precaution.
No residents have tested positive at this time.
There are additional symptomatic staff members who are awaiting the results, and the District of Muskoka, which operates the home, says it is “prudent to assume there will be more positive staff member cases.”
This as yesterday the province paused general visits at all LTCs. Designated caregivers may continue to enter long-term care homes. However, day leaves for all residents for social purposes have been cancelled.
Daily rapid testing of all staff or essential caregivers entering the Pines is continuing.
Additional district staff are being voluntarily redeployed to support staff and residents at the Pines during this isolation period. These staff will be assisting with portering residents, monitoring hallways, and checking in on residents during meal times, which will allow the Pines staff to focus on providing personal care and direct support to residents.
Individuals who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or immunocompromised will be required to isolate for 10 days, says the district release.
Individuals who work in high-risk health care settings will have the opportunity to return to work after isolating for seven (7) days with negative PCR or rapid antigen test results, which will be provided by the Province through the health care setting.
They say they will be following the changes to provincial screening and quarantine protocols that came into effect today: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1001386/ontario-updating-public-health-measures-and-guidance-in-response-to-omicron
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