A suspected COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at Southlake Residential Care Village following symptoms in two residents.
York Region Public Health has declared one wing, 4 West, in outbreak due to “the high-risk exposure” of a resident who displayed COVID-19 symptoms after an outing for a physician appointment, followed by visits to several “high-risk” locations in the community, according to medical director Rhea Uy in an Aug. 13 letter to residents, staff and families.
“Regrettably, said 4 West resident was taken to multiple ‘high-risk’ sites after his/her doctor’s appointment, which has been considered by Public Health a breach in the infection control protocol for outpatient visits of long-term care residents,” Uy said.
The resident’s symptoms included fever, sore throat, productive cough, lung crackles, fatigue, and muscle pain the day after the outing.
The second resident, on another wing, was tested prior to a hospital transfer.
"The home is now deemed to be in a suspect/surveillance respiratory outbreak mode and will remain so until swabbing of all residents in the specific unit where the affected resident resides have been returned and found to be negative for COVID-19," confirmed Southlake Village executive director Anne Deelstra in an email statement to NewmarketToday.
"We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but we are acting on the advice of local public health authorities and in the best interests of our residents," Deelstra said.
York Region Public Health's outbreak investigation team is assessing potential risks and any possible exposures related to the case, according to the Region of York's director of communications, Patrick Casey.
If the test is confirmed positive, public health investigators will work to identify anyone with whom the resident had contact and will follow up directly with them, Casey added.
All non-essential visits to the 192-bed long-term care facility on Grace Street, which neighbours Southlake Regional Health Centre, have been suspended, according to Uy, and the fourth-floor wing is under “strict isolation”, according to outbreak protocol. Residents of the wing are restricted to their rooms.
Residents, essential visitors, non-essential visitors, and staff who worked shifts on the outbreak wing from Aug. 11 will be traced by public health investigators and advised to undergo surveillance and testing for COVID 19, she said.
This is the second outbreak declared at Southlake Village, following positive COVID-19 tests for two health-care workers last April. The 40-day outbreak was declared closed May 19.
"Our staff have been working so hard and so diligently throughout the pandemic," Deelstra said.
According to Uy’s letter, universal test results this month, to date, indicate all staff are negative for COVID-19, as are test results for symptomatic residents in the last week.
“Lastly, all our staff have remained free of any COVID-concerning symptoms for the past two weeks,” Uy added.
“Our hearts truly go out to our residents and their families who have not had the opportunity for face-to-face visits before this unfortunate turn of events,” Uy said in the letter. “Because we are a bigger home with a bigger responsibility, it becomes even more important that we all work together to keep each other safe, in order to regain if not continue the privileges we enjoyed freely before the pandemic.
“Again, I plead and thank you all for your patience, understanding and cooperation.”
Visits to all Ontario long-term care facilities without outbreaks were initially restored June 18 by the province, with strict limitations on numbers and a requirement of a negative COVID-19 test result within the previous two weeks.
The province further relaxed the rules July 18, permitting up to two people at a time to visit in an outdoor setting, without being required to take a COVID-19 test beforehand. Indoor visits were permitted as of July 22, with a two-person limit and requirement to "verbally attest" to a negative result on a COVID-19 test taken within the previous two weeks.
York Region has had 73 institutional outbreaks throughout the pandemic, totalling 1,208 cases in residents, patients, health-care workers and staff and 195 COVID-19 related deaths.
As of yesterday, there were no active outbreaks at long-term care facilities in York Region. In total, there have been 24 outbreaks at long-term care facilities, causing 778 cases of COVID-19 in residents and health-care workers and 165 resident deaths.
Newmarket has not had a long-term care outbreak since May 26, when the outbreak at Mackenzie Place Long-term Care ended. Just more than half of Newmarket's 255 cases are linked to institutional outbreaks, including retirement and group homes.
