SUDBURY --
Sudbury's latest case of COVID-19 is a woman in her 50s and an employee of the long-term care home.
The woman was tested on April 28 as part of the province's targeted surveillance of long-term care facilities in Ontario, however, it is not known how she contracted the virus.
Public Health Sudbury and Districts is reporting the investigation confirmed no recent travel and that the woman has had no contact with a known case.
St. Gabriel Villa is the fourth long-term care facility in Sudbury to declare a COVID-19 outbreak along with Extendicare York, Pioneer Manor and St. Joseph's Villa.
While the word, outbreak, elicits obvious concern, the term refers to official guidelines in place by the Ministry of Long-Term Care.
An outbreak must be declared when one case, in either a staff member or a resident, is identified.
"In our current circumstances of heightened vigilance and making sure we’re protecting our long-term care home, even one case in a staff member constitutes an outbreak and needs to put in outbreak control measures," said Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, the chief medical officer of health for Public Health Sudbury & Districts.
A total of 11 positive cases have been confirmed in Sudbury long-term care facilities, including 7 employees and 4 residents. One resident has died due to complications related to COVID-19.
