A coronavirus outbreak has been declared at a second long-term care facility in Peterborough, the region’s public health unit announced Friday afternoon.
Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, medical officer of health for Peterborough Public Health, said one resident at Riverview Manor has tested positive for COVID-19. The patient is currently in self-isolation at the facility, she noted.
She said eight other residents were tested and three were negative for COVID-19. Test results are pending for the five other residents, she noted.
Five staff members at the 124-bed facility on Water Street have also been tested. One test result was negative and the other four test results are pending, said Salvaterra.
She said the health unit was informed of the facility’s confirmed case on Thursday afternoon. Prior to the detection of COVID-19, the facility was currently under a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) outbreak.
“It’s still unclear to use how the (COVID-19) case was exposed and our investigation at the facility is still ongoing,” said Salvaterra.
Last month, an outbreak was declared at St. Joseph’s at Fleming long-term care facility. Salvaterra says three people tested positive for COVID-19 and neither has been hospitalized.
Late Friday afternoon, the health unit announced there were now 43 confirmed cases of COVID-19, an increase of two since their last update at 5 p.m on Thursday. Six of the cases are now resolved.
Salvaterra noted that 38 of the 43 cases have been connected to either travel or contact with another confirmed case. Three of the 43 cases have been identified as community transmission – one of them is connected to St. Joseph’s at Fleming.
“Our rates are doubling every four days – that’s very similar to doubling rates being experienced by the whole of the province,” she said.
There have been 885 tests to date with 571 confirmed negative, the health unit announced at 4:30 p.m. Test results are still pending for 271 people in the health unit’s jurisdiction which includes the City of Peterborough, Peterborough County, Hiawatha First Nation and Curve Lake First Nation.
Salvaterra noted a provincial emergency order enables health units to recruit volunteers, retired nurses or students to assist with key public health functions which are expected will ramp up as case numbers increase.
“Particularly contact tracing and case management,” she said.
Salvaterra addressed the province’s case projections revealed earlier Friday which indicated that Ontario would have seen 300,000 cases of COVID-19 and 6,000 deaths by the end of the month if there was no government action or intervention.
“This data does paint a picture of the value of what we’re doing,” she said. “And the importance of what we’re doing and the impact of what we’re doing. We are saving lives, and we are also trying to protect our healthcare system so that we do have enough capacity to take care those who will get sick.”
She noted health units will be considering “more aggressive action” to reduce the potential for transmission of the virus.
“And we will be counting on all members of our community to work with us in this endeavour,” she said.
More to come.