A COVID-19 outbreak in a Belleville, Ont., long-term care home has been halted after nine people tested positive.
On March 30, a Hastings Manor staff member tested positive for the novel coronavirus, since then, five residents and four staff members inside the home have contracted the virus.
“It only takes one staff member or a resident for a facility to be put into an outbreak category,” said Hastings County CAO Jim Pine.
According to Pine, one of the residents remains in hospital, and the other four are inside the home recovering. All four staff members are self-quarantining at home and are expected to make a full recovery.
“We’ve implemented the residents who have tested positive to one resident area of the manor, and we’ve got full droplet and contact protective measures in place. The staff, of course, are using full PPE coverage,” said Pine via Skype on Friday afternoon.
This may have stopped a potentially deadly outbreak, like the ones that claimed lives in Almonte, Ont., and Bobcaygeon, Ont.
Earlier this week, the Ontario government announced systemic changes to the long-term care system.
This includes an emergency order that will prevent long-term care staff from working at multiple homes. The province has acknowledged that some outbreaks in those facilities were the result of staff who work in multiple homes inadvertently bringing in the virus.
With these changes, Hasting Prince Edward Public Health will be priority testing for long-term care residents and staff.
“It’s really key to have that isolation to prevent transmission, identify contacts who would be considered to be in close contact, and then keep those individuals also away from those who are not identified as contacts,” said Dr. Piotr Oglaza, medical officer of health for HPE Public Health.
Measures that are being enforced by the County’s front-line workers have stopped the virus in its tracks at Hastings Manor, Pine says.
“Our staff have really answered the bell, and I just can’t be more thankful for their efforts. They’re the real champions in all of this.”
On Friday morning, 8 Wing Trenton conducted a fly-past salute to health-care workers over Trenton Memorial Hospital, Belleville General Hospital and Hastings Manor.