THUNDER BAY – A staff member at the Pioneer Ridge long-term care home has tested positive for COVID-19. The Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU) said in a release Sunday that the individual does not interact with residents or go into residential areas of the home as part of their work.
The health unit deemed the risk of transmission within the home to be low, and said the case did not meet the threshold to declare an outbreak for the facility, which is run by the City of Thunder Bay.
“Receiving a report of a positive result in someone associated with a long-term care facility is always concerning,” said Dr. Janet DeMille, medical officer of health with the TBDHU. “However, there are a number of facts in this situation that are very reassuring.”
Long-term care homes have proven particularly vulnerable to the spread of the virus, accounting for a majority of national COVID-19 deaths.
The case in question had already been announced earlier this weekend by the health unit, which is now investigating to trace contacts. No residents or other staff members had reported symptoms as of Sunday afternoon, they said.
Lee Mesic, Pioneer Ridge administrator, said the nature of the staff member's work is independent, but they might have contact in passing with other staff members. She said she was reassured that personal protective equipment (PPE) had been worn, reducing any risk of transmission.
A second round of testing had recently been performed on all staff at the home, Mesic said, with another set to be completed by the end of June. The identification of the positive case showed that testing strategy is working, Mesic said.
All residents were tested in May, and further testing continued for any residents with symptoms that could be consistent with the virus.
The individual who tested positive had not experienced any symptoms, and is now self-isolating at home.
