Six more people died at an Almonte, Ont., long-term care facility over the long weekend due to a novel coronavirus outbreak at the home.
In total, 16 residents at Almonte Country Haven have died since the outbreak was first declared on March 29. The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit has been ramping up testing at the home, which, before the outbreak, housed over 80 residents.
Now, there are a total of 36 residents who have tested positive for COVID-19.
The high number of cases, Amonte Country Haven says, is because public health officials have been testing all residents who were in close contact with any positive cases, even those who are asymptomatic.
As of Sunday, Almonte Country Haven says the public health unit will now be testing all residents at the home.
The rural region covered by the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit has seen 191 cases of COVID-19 as of Sunday, with a total of 15 deaths.
On Thursday, the public health unit’s medical officer for health, Dr. Paula Stewart, said the small region’s relatively high numbers (Kingston stands at 55 total cases) are due to increased testing at long-term care facilities. Almonte Country Haven counts for over a quarter of the region’s cases and all but one of the region’s COVID-19-related deaths.