Two more people test positive in Lambton

The Ontario government is asking Canadian Forces to help in nursing homes hard hit by COVID-19.

Premier Doug Ford told reporters today he’s asking the federal government for more supplies and to bring Canadian Forces personnel to help in five of the worst hit homes.

Ford says they are for staffing relief “so the staff can focus on the care,” says Ford

The minister for long term care wouldn’t say which homes would receive the help. 

The number of people testing positive for the novel coronavirus has risen but at a slower rate. There were 510 new cases Wednesday, down from 551 new cases Tuesday.

Thirty seven people died across the province Wednesday with 659 deaths across the province.

In Lambton, there are now 150 people who tested positive for the virus – 14 have passed away. Officials say 62 people are now listed as recovered.

Lambton’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Sudit Ranade, says so far there have been no new cases at Lambton Meadowview Villa in Petrolia where a week ago an employee had tested positive for COVID-19.

All the residents there and at Landmark Village in Sarnia have now been tested for the virus. There have been more people test positive in the Sarnia home since the testing began.

The province is expecting all residents and staff at Ontario’s long-term care homes to be tested in the near future. Ranade says that will provide a baseline to see if there is disease in the homes.

“One of the things that happens when you test all kinds of people is that many or in fact most of the people will test negative…they may be incubating the virus and the testing will not pick it up,” he says noting people should not have false hope if there all the tests come back negative.