A dozen residents at Sarnia home test positive for COVID-19

Twin Lakes Terrace is dealing with a significant COVID-19 outbreak.

Data just released by Lambton Public Health shows 12 residents of the 60 bed nursing home have tested positive. Two staff members – one from the nursing home, the other from the retirement home, are also COVID-19 positive.

Lambton’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Sudit Ranada, says the administration of the home is receiving help from Bluewater Health and public health. The group gives advice and support on things like infection control and testing.

But Ranade says even with extra help and all the right precaution, COVID-19 outbreaks in long term care homes are difficult to control.

“Once this virus takes hold in a long term care facility or retirement home, we have seen the devastation that it can cause, we have seen the damage that it can do and we have to remember that this is really related to the way in which this virus transmits.

“All of the efforts, personal protective equipment, screening … are useful to a point. But ultimately, this is a virus that spreads very much like the common cold and what you are trying to do is prevent the spread of something like the common cold in a very vulnerable setting.”

He says sometimes the known prevention efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 are not enough.

“These measures are not perfect, they are to help reduce the risk but ultimately, this is a virus that spreads very efficiently through the population when its in certain circumstances like in long term care homes, and of course, closed, confined spaces. So, we are we are concerned about it.”

Twin Lakes is one of 10 long term care and retirement homes in Lambton in outbreak right now.

Fiddicks in Petrolia is now reporting another COVID-19 case in a staff member – this time on the retirement side. The nursing home was placed in outbreak Friday when a staff member there tested positive.

The situation at Village on the St. Clair Retirement home is also worsening. Seven seniors and five staff members are COVID-19 positive. And at Fairwinds Lodge in Sarnia four residents and two staff have the virus.

At Trillium Villa in Sarnia, four staff members are COVID-19 positive

Lambton Meadowview, North Lambton Lodge, Sumac Lodge, and Vision Nursing home are all also on outbreak.

As other regions with higher community transmission of the virus have seen, the number of cases of the virus in long term care homes is increasing in Lambton as the number of people testing positive for the virus rises. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. About 70 per cent of the deaths from COVID-19 have been residents of long term care.

Lambton reported another 85 cases of COVID-19 Monday. The county has become one of the communities with the highest rates of the virus in the province. Right now, only Windsor-Essex, Peel and Toronto public health units have high rates of COVID-19 per 100,000 population than Lambton, which has 33.06 cases per 100,000.

The provincial government announced Monday there were 3,338 new COVID-19 in Ontario, including 29 deaths including 13 from long term care homes. Since September 1,132 residents have died of COVID-19.