COVID-19: 34 new cases in Northumberland County; 3 staff test positive at Fenelon Court LTC

The COVID-19 outbreak at a long-term care home in Fenelon Falls, Ont., involves three staff members, the home’s parent company said Tuesday.

On Sunday, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit declared an outbreak at Fenelon Court Long-term Care in the village north of Lindsay. The health unit did not provide case details.

Dr. Rhonda Collins, chief medical officer for Revera, the home’s parent company, says three staff members tested positive as part of ongoing staff surveillance tested.

Collins says the trio are in self-isolation at the 67-bed home. No residents have tested positive but all will remain in their rooms in the interim. The home is working closely with the health unit to follow “strict” pandemic outbreak protocols and infection control practices, including enhanced cleaning.

“All residents are monitored twice daily for symptoms,” said Collins. “All staff are screened at the beginning and end of their shifts and are being cohorted to work in assigned resident areas. All staff are required to wear an appropriate mask and eye protection in the home.”

Collins said “most” residents who consented to and are able to be vaccinated have now received both COVID-19 vaccine doses. Vaccinations for staff are “ongoing,” she said.

“Although general visits are suspended while the province is in lockdown, visits from essential caregivers and essential visits for palliative residents will be permitted,” she said. “We recognize how difficult these measures are for residents and their families. We appreciate the patience and understanding of families as we put these precautions in place for the safety of the residents.”

It’s the third outbreak declared at the home on Wychwood Crescent. The first was in June 2020 after a resident tested positive followed by an outbreak in early January 2021 when a staff member tested positive as part of surveillance testing.

On Tuesday, the health unit reported 37 new cases of COVID-19, with 34 in Northumberland County along with two in the City of Kawartha Lakes and one in Haliburton County.

There are now 177 active cases of COVID-19 for the health unit, up from 142 reported on Monday.

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The number of variant cases also continues to climb, now sitting at 188 — up from 148 on Monday. Northumberland County now has 124 variant cases, followed by 59 in the Kawarthas and five in Haliburton County.

Other active outbreaks within the health unit’s jurisdiction:

• Cobourg Collegiate Institute: Closed April 6 for three cases. Outbreak declared April 9 — up to 19 cases according to the Kawartha, Pine Ridge District School Board on Tuesday morning.
• Swiss Chalet on Strathy Road in Cobourg: Declared April 7. Six cases as of Saturday. Restaurant voluntarily closed. The health unit advises anyone who dined in the restaurant between March 25 and April 5 to monitor themselves and get tested if they develop COVID-19 symptoms.
• Christian Horizons in Port Hope: Declared April 7 — no details available.
• Timber House Resort in Brighton (Northumberland County): Case details were not provided.
• St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Cobourg: Declared April 3 after five cases were initially reported. Case count up to 26 with one resolved on Tuesday, according to the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington District School Board.

Of the health unit’s 1,383 cases since the pandemic was declared in March 2020, there are now 1,151 deemed resolved (four more since Tuesday) — approximately 83 per cent.

Other case data for Tuesday:

• Death toll — unchanged at 68 (55 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 12 in Northumberland County and one in Haliburton County).
• Hospitalized cases — unchanged at 53 with four people currently in hospital, four in an intensive care unit. Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports five admitted COVID-19 patients as of noon Tuesday, up one from Monday.
• 416 high-risk contacts, down from 422 reported on Monday.
• Schools with cases as of 10 a.m. Monday: St. Mary Catholic Secondary in Cobourg (up to 25 cases — with one resolved, according to the PVNCCDSB, school closed); Cobourg Collegiate Institute (17 cases); North Hope Public School in Campbellcroft (three cases); Ganaraska Trail Public School in Port Hope (one case); Grafton Public School (two cases); Burnham Public School in Cobourg (one case); Campbellford District Public School (one case); Woodville Elementary School (one student case, two classes closed); Grandview Public School in Bethany (one student case, one classroom closed and Archie Stouffer Elementary School in Minden (one student case, one classroom closed).

To book a vaccine appointment, visit the province’s booking website or phone 1-888-999-6488. Phone lines will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Starting Wednesday, provincial eligibility for the vaccine includes adults who are born in 1961 or before (60 years or older).

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