SUDBURY -- The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Lakeland Long-Term Care Home in Parry Sound on Thursday.
The declaration was sparked when a staff member at the home tested positive for the disease, the health unit said in a news release.
"Aligning with the Ministry of Health guidelines for an outbreak in the long-term care home, a COVID-19 outbreak is declared with a single laboratory-confirmed case in a resident or staff member of a long-term care home," the release said.
The staff member who tested positive is currently in isolation and people who are high-risk contacts have been contacted by the health unit and are self-isolating.
“Our staff are working with Lakeland Long-Term Care Home to provide important public health direction,” Dr. Jim Chirico medical officer of health, said in the release. “It is critical that we continue to follow public health measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and help save lives.”
The health unit is asking the public to continue to practise COVID-19 public health measures, especially limiting travel outside your home to essential trips only.
Other measures include physical distancing, wearing a face covering, washing or sanitizing hands often and coughing or sneezing into your sleeve. The public is also required to follow the measures under the province-wide shutdown.
If you think you may have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has it, first self-isolate and then use Ontario's Self-Assessment Tool to see if you need to seek further care. If you need further assistance call your health care provider or the Health Unit at 1-800-563-2808. If you have severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, you should call 911 and mention your symptoms.
For more information, visit myhealthunit.ca/COVID-19.
