September 15, 2020
We have recently become aware of a health-care worker in Health & Transition Services who has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee works nights within Adult Services (first floor) and last worked on September 10.
All of St.Amant’s Program and Service areas have pandemic response plans and are prepared to act immediately should a positive case be identified in staff or someone we support. Each program/service also has precautions in place to prevent the spread of illness, which as we know, makes a huge difference to the potential risk of transmission.
Our staff within Health & Transition Services have been working closely with Public Health to complete a risk assessment and to support contact tracing. They have also called all Health & Transition Services families to share information and called and emailed with updates to ensure that families have the most up to date information possible. At this time, no one supported through Health & Transition Services is showing any symptoms.
Although the risk level is considered low, out of an abundance of caution, Public Health has declared this one case as an outbreak. They have advised that Health & Transition Service’s response level on the Pandemic Response System will be elevated to “critical” or “red” effective immediately. We are not surprised to hear this as it is the same level of recommendation other long-term care facilities have received.
What this means for Health & Transition Services is:
- We are suspending all admissions and rescheduling respite stays.
- We are restricting visitation as per the Provincial Guidelines and canceling all visits for Adult Services (first floor) until contact tracing is complete and the situation has stabilized. Virtual visits are still available.
- One designated visitor will be permitted for all other units.
- We are completing a deep clean of the Adult Services area and all common areas.
- We are temporarily limiting non-essential movement of residents off the Adult Services units until things stabilize
- We will continue to limit staff movement between areas as much as possible.
- We are cancelling all external clinics that serve Health & Transition Services residents temporarily.
- We are moving back to virtual rounds for Adult Services.
- We continue to support good hand hygiene and physical distancing.
The affected employee is isolating and is doing well. We wish the employee a speedy and safe recovery and look forward to their healthy return to work.
We are very grateful to all of the staff within Health & Transition Services for their quick, compassionate response. And we are also very grateful for the efficient and informative support from Public Health.
