No new COVID-19 cases at Hastings Manor in Belleville for three weeks

There are some promising signs that the COVID-19 outbreak at the roughly 250-bed Hastings Manor may be nearing an end.

It has been three weeks since there has been a new positive coronavirus case at the Belleville, Ont., long-term care facility, according to Hastings County CAO Jim Pine.

“Twenty-two days since our last positive case at Hastings Manor. We are making tremendous progress and I have to make a big shout out to all of the staff for all of the hard work they are doing in helping make that happen.”

Pine says they were able to contain the outbreak, which at its height included ten residents and five staff members, to one area of the building.

Relatively speaking the large facility is fairly new — being built 17 years ago — which allowed for physical distancing and isolating residents, Pine told Global Kingston.

Pine says staff were on top of the situation as well, when a staff member first tested positive for novel coronavirus on April 2.

“Staff recognized very quickly the importance of personal protective equipment and following all of the guidelines of the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the local medical officer of health provided to us.”

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Three residents did die during the outbreak and Pine says that hard fact has been tough on everyone involved.

“Our hearts and our prayers go out to them. It’s very hard on families and it’s very hard on staff as well.”

One resident has been declared recovered and there are still five residents who remain positive for COVID-19, says Pine.

“Four are showing no symptoms now and we’re retesting those four residents and as soon as they can get two negative swabs within forty-eight hours then they’re declared recovered.”

Pine says those residents have tested negative on one test and they are waiting for the results on the second test.

According to Hastings Prince Edward Public Health a total of five individuals have died from COVID-19.

As of May 13, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health is reporting a total of 42 lab confirmed cases and a further 182 probable cases.

27 people from the lab confirmed cases have recovered and 170 of the probable case individuals have also recovered.