Sarnia nursing home declared an outbreak Thursday

Another staff member at a Sarnia nursing home has tested positive for COVID-19.

Lambton Public Health officials confirmed Thursday Twin Lakes Terrace nursing home in Sarnia declared an outbreak after one staff member has tested positive for the virus.

Carole Alexander, vice president of long term care for Steeves & Rozema which own’s Twin Lakes, says another employee – who originally tested negative, has now been found to be COVID-19 positive.

“Twin Lakes has all precautionary measures in place ensuring the health and safety of our residents and staff and are based on both provincial and local recommendations,” says Alexander.

“Essential visitors and caregivers continue to be permitted into the home and must comply with active screening measures, and those who fail screening or who refuse screening will not be permitted to enter,” she added in an email to The Independent.

All other in person visits have been put on hold with the nursing home encouraging visits by telephone and video chat.

Twin Lakes is not the only outbreak in Lambton right now. There is also a workplace outbreak in the county with three people who have the virus. The employees of the business have been told to self isolate. Public health doesn’t release the name of the workplace unless it needs to reach people who may have been exposed to the virus.

Three schools have reported COVID-19 cases; about 92 people in two elementary schools – Col. Cameron in Corunna and Bright’s Grove Public School – are self isolating because of the cases.

The public health unit says a total of 10 people are now ill with COVID-19 in the community – that’s three more people in the last four days than were ill in all of September.

Dr. Sudit Ranade is not surprised. “We’re now expecting that we will be seeing more cases, that we will be seeing more transmission in the community and so it’s kind of like a heads up.