Update 5:47 p.m. Monday: Adds comments from Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis.
Update 3:07 p.m. Monday: Story is updated to show health unit has added the outbreak to its website and listed it in the outbreaks page.
CORNWALL – St. Joseph’s Continuing Care Center has declared a novel coronavirus outbreak at its facility after a single case of COVID-19 was uncovered.
In a statement posted on the site’s web page and updated on Monday morning, it says one non-nursing staff member tested positive during the health unit’s “swabbing exercise” on Tuesday (May 5).
“All necessary measures and directives have been put in place to combat COVID-19 and will continue to be adhered to, in order to continue to mitigate the risks of spread,” the center said.
An outbreak is declared as soon as there’s a single case of COVID-19 in either a resident or staff member.
The facility at 14 York Street has 150 long term care bed and 58 complex continuing care hospital beds, according to Champlain Healthline.
In his briefing with reporters Monday afternoon, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis says the staff member had been wearing personal protective equipment but was tested as part of the widespread testing plan at long term care homes. No residents at the facility have tested positive, Roumeliotis added.
While it didn’t initially show up in the morning, later in the day around 3 p.m., the updated health unit data showed an additional institutional outbreak (three total). The outbreak also shows up in the facilities outbreak page as being in the “Quinn House” of St. Joseph’s Continuing Care.