Jo-Anne Palkovits, President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Health Centre confirmed that an outbreak has been declared at St. Joseph’s Villa long-term care home in Sudbury.
She says the ministry requires a COVID-19 outbreak to be declared with a single laboratory-confirmed case in a resident or staff member.
In this case, one staff member tested positive and is under active follow up with Public Health Sudbury & Districts.
She stresses none of the residents who were in contact with this employee is symptomatic and all are being tested.
Palkovits adds the health worker is self-isolating at home.
This is the first instance of a confirmed COVID-19 case being linked to long-term care or retirement home in Public Health Sudbury & Districts’ service area, said Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health with Public Health Sudbury & Districts.
Dr. Sutcliffe says additional controls have now been put into place including priority testing of all health workers and residents, as well as no visitors or intakes at this time.
There are 42 reported cases of COVID-19 within the Public Health Sudbury & Districts, 12 in the Algoma District.