The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit has confirmed its first positive confirmed cased of COVID-19 in a long term care home.
On Monday, the Health Unit declared a respiratory outbreak in Cassellholme in North Bay.
Residents and staff at the facility were tested on Friday as part of the enhanced testing of long term care homes.
The individual who tested positive is a male resident between the ages of 60-79 who did not have symptoms and is now in a COVID-19 isolation unit at the home.
An outbreak is declared with a single laboratory-confirmed case in a resident or staff member of a long-term care home.
“Our staff are working with Cassellholme to provide public health direction as we wait for the remainder of the 205 residents and 330 staff test results to come back,” Medical Officer of Health, Dr Jim Chirico said. “We know that older individuals are vulnerable, and it is important that we do our best to keep this population safe.”
The Health Unit has tested symptomatic residents of long-term care homes in the district, prior to the release of the provincial plan, and all results came back negative.
They note that it is important to remember that most people with COVID-19 have no symptoms or mild symptoms.
The Health Unit adds people who are mildly ill should isolate and care for themselves at home.
Most will recover in one to two weeks by simply treating the symptoms.
If you think you have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has it, you’re encouraged to self-isolate and then use Ontario’s Self-Assessment Tool to see if you need to seek further care.
For further assistance, call your health care provider or the Health Unit at 1-800-563-2808.
This will help keep the emergency room resources available for trauma and emergent care patients.
If you have severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, you should call 911 and mention your travel history and your symptoms.
Ontario’s website has more on how the province continues to protect Ontarians from COVID-19.
For up to date information – head here.