Public Health says 32 residents COVID-19 positive, two have died

The COVID-19 outbreak at Vision Rest Home is now the largest of the second wave of the pandemic in Lambton.

Lambton Public Health reports today there are now 32 retirement home residents and 14 staff members who have tested positive for the virus in the 34 room home.

CEO Heather Martin confirms all but one of the the residents at the rest home contracted the virus.

“We can confirm that all residents but one have been infected with COVID during this outbreak – very rapid spread occurred at the onset of this outbreak,” said Martin in an email.  Tuesday, the retirement home reported 29 residents and six staff were ill.

“Many have been asymptomatic or experienced very mild symptoms.  Our staff were also hit hard by this virus and are now beginning to return to work.  We have assistance from Bluewater Health and a team from Vision Nursing Home that have been incredible at supporting the Rest Home during this time working extra hours to help with staffing shortages.”

Martin says many residents have improved and some of the restrictions first put in place have been lifted.

But the daily statistics also show another resident there has died. Two people have lost their lives at Vision due to the virus in the three weeks.

“Two residents did transfer to hospital and we are deeply saddened by their passing.  Our home is a tight-knit community and our deepest condolences go out to the families. “

It’s not the first time Vision – a non-profit home – has struggled containing the virus. In April to June, the nursing home side of the facility saw 54 residents and staff contract COVID-19 and 10 people died.

There are five outbreaks in long term care homes today;

Two more staff at Village on the St. Clair are COVID-19 positive. There are 27 residents and 14 staff members who tested positive. Three people have died.

There are 17 residents and five staff at Twin Lakes Terrace who have tested positive for the virus with one death.

Landmark Village has two staff members who are COVID-19 positive.

And Lambton Meadowview Villa went into outbreak Thursday when one staff member who was involved in direct patient care tested positive for COVID-19.

Across the province, 29 more residents of long term care homes died of COVID-19 yesterday. There were 58 deaths reported across the province. Today, Public Health Ontario is reporting 1,837 new cases of COVID-19.

Dr. Stein Brown, co-chair of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, said yesterday during a press briefing the rates of infection are slowing with the seven day average for daily cases down to around 2,000 per day. For a time in early January, Ontario saw the number of new cases of COVID-19 daily rise to nearly 4,000.

Brown says people are moving around less, because of the provincial lockdown, and that’s helping reduce transmission.

But he says testing and contact tracing will become increasingly important as the province sees the new variants of COVID-19 which originate from the UK and South Africa, circulate in the community.

Most of this week, Ontario registered under 40,000 tests. Today, public health reports 69,040 tests completed, with 40,453 results outstanding.

The number of people entering hospital has decline, however there are still 360 people in intensive care units across the province. Brown says that continues to have an impact on the other health services offered in Ontario.