A COVID-19 outbreak has been lifted at Fairhaven long-term care in Peterborough, the home announced Friday morning.
The outbreak was initially declared on Dec. 28, 2021, when five staff cases were reported at the municipally run 256-bed facility. Further cases were later reported among staff and residents, including up to 16 cases on Jan. 20 (six residents and 10 staff.) No deaths were reported.
On Jan. 26, the facility reported no active cases but the outbreak was still in effect.
Executive director Lionel Towns says Peterborough Public Health declared the Dutton Road home out of its outbreak on Friday morning — 45 days after it was initially declared.
“Please remember that we will continue to require everyone visiting Fairhaven (including visits by people who are in a car, or who are just stopping by briefly) to undergo daily rapid antigen tests (RAT),” the home stated. “Staff will continue to be required to be tested daily as well.”
Towns noted the home is now under provincial visiting and resident leave guidelines which were changed on Feb. 7 which included increasing the maximum number of designated caregivers per resident from two to four (unless designated before Dec. 15). There remains a limit of two visitors (currently only caregivers) at a time per resident. There’s a resumption of social day absences for residents who have had at least three COVID-19 vaccine doses.
He noted the next planned modifications to the Ministry of Long Term Care visiting and leave policies are set for Feb. 21 which could include resuming all general visitors (age five and older) who have at least two COVID-19 doses, increasing visitor limit increases to three per resident, and resuming social overnight absences for residents who have at least three doses of a vaccine. Further restrictions could be lifted on March 14.
“When you get a chance, please thank our staff, in every department, and every employee group (administration, CUPE and ONA), for the incredible effort that they have put forth recently,” Towns said. “Being one of the largest homes in Ontario makes the possibility of our facility meeting the active case thresholds, set for calling outbreaks, much more likely. Our size also makes it far more difficult to complete the required amount of time without active cases, in our resident, family and essential caregiver populations, to enable our home to be declared ‘COVID free.'”
Fairhaven has dealt with a number of outbreaks since the pandemic began in 2020 including a 41-day outbreak that was declared on Oct. 31, 2020, and went on to claim the lives of three residents.