St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Guelph says all of its patients and residents have tested negative for the novel coronavirus after all 297 of them were swabbed during a testing blitz in April.
Officials announced the results on Friday after the blitz was initiated by St. Joseph’s between April 17 and April 20.
“It is an immense relief,” said St. Joseph’s president David Wormald. “We realize this is only a snapshot that provides information at a single point in time. We must remain vigilant and continue our exceptional infection prevention and control practices.”
The facility said it has also received 75 per cent of the results for its staff. Among those 400 tests, only two workers, who were asymptomatic, tested positive for the coronavirus and are self-isolating.
St. Joseph’s said it has taken a number of proactive steps to help ensure the safety of residents and patients, including testing asymptomatic residents, patients and staff.
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“We are deeply grateful to our health-care partners in Guelph,” Wormald said. “We know that our community of health-care providers have a history of collaboration and they have demonstrated yet again how we are stronger when we work together.”
There have been five deaths connected to the virus in Guelph and one was a resident of St. Joseph’s, but it’s not known when that person died.
The facility has also been subject to two separate COVID-19 outbreaks, including one in its Rosewood Unit that was declared over on April 14. An outbreak in its Apple Blossom Unit officially ended on Friday afternoon.
As of Friday morning, Guelph was reporting 110 cases in the city, which includes 40 resolved cases.
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