Active COVID-19 case count drops at Caressant Care McLaughlin in Lindsay

There are 47 active cases of COVID-19 at Caressant Care McLaughlin in Lindsay, down from 52 on Thursday.

Twenty-nine residents and 18 staff members have active positive cases while 19 residents and 19 staff cases are now resolved, the company stated in an email to Global News Peterborough on Friday.

There have been nine deaths associated with the outbreak, which was declared by the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPRDHU) on Jan. 9.

“In the home, residents who are symptomatic and have tested positive are being kept isolated from those who have tested negative,” Caressant spokesperson Stuart Oakley stated.

“The home also undergoes a deep clean several times a week.  Red Cross is helping in the home as well with doing reminder training on wearing and taking off PPE (personal protective equipment).  We continue to have strong support from our care partners with daily calls and staffing is being bolstered using agency staff, where need.”

The active case counts at the 96-bed facility steadily increased every day this week before falling on Friday.

Between Jan. 30 and Feb. 3, five people died at the home.

On his Wednesday media videoconference, HKPRDHU acting medical officer of health Dr. Ian Gemmill noted that the health unit would receive 1,000 Moderna vaccines “on or after the weekend.”

Those vaccines would be for the rest of long-term care facilities within the jurisdiction that have not received a first dose.

Caressant Care McLaughlin has not had any vaccine clinics during the outbreak.

“Still hoping vaccines to begin as soon as possible for those who have consented and are not symptomatic,” Oakley stated.

In an interview on Friday, Dr. Gemmill confirmed that Caressant Care McLaughlin residents, who have not contracted coronavirus, will receive the first dose of vaccine next week.

“So that they have a chance to avoid this through immunization.  It will be of interest to me to see whether immunization makes a difference in an outbreak.  It does with other diseases and I am not aware of other places where this has been tried, but certainly, it’s worth a try here.”

Dr. Gemmill also called the drop in active cases a positive step but warned to be cautiously optimistic as the outbreak is far from over.

In an email to Global News Peterborough Friday, Ross Memorial Hospital confirmed it had four nurses, four housekeepers and a manager of environmental services onsite at Caressant Care McLaughlin.

“Several RMH staff (including Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC)) participate on daily calls with Caressant Care and government partners,” stated hospital communications and public affairs officer Amanda Carvalho.

Oakley added that “staff is doing well despite the challenges and remain focused on containing the spread as best as possible and caring for residents.”

“Every ‘thank you’ and messages of good wishes are definitely appreciated by the staff, who are absolute heroes fighting an invisible enemy.”