UPDATE – Watch over: COVID-19 watch declared at Providence Manor

Update (Monday, Dec. 6, 2021):

The COVID-19 watch, which had been declared on Nov. 25, 2021, after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19, has now ended at Providence Manor.

The watch was declared on Montreal 5, a resident home area at the Manor, and, the 35 residents who live on Montreal 5 were monitored closely for symptoms and tested for the virus multiple times throughout the watch, according to a release from Providence Care. All test results came back negative.

Staff members with confirmed contact with the positive case were also tested for COVID-19. Those results were also negative, according to the release.

Providence Care declared the watch over on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, and alerted all residents at the long-term care home and their loved ones. Providence Care said all restrictions as a result of the watch have now been lifted.

The following safety measures remain in place at Providence Manor:

• All staff members are actively screened daily for COVID-19 symptoms. They must also wear appropriate personal protective equipment, practice physical distancing and good hand hygiene.
• All visitors must pass screening. If they do not pass screening, they will not be permitted to enter. Individuals who pass screening must wear a mask at all times for the duration of their visit.
• As per a Ministry of Long-Term Care directive, staff must participate in randomized COVID-19 surveillance testing once a week.
• As per a Ministry of Long-Term Care directive, all general and essential visitors who are not fully vaccinated must participate in mandatory on-site COVID-19 surveillance testing

Original Article:

While not an official outbreak, Providence Care has declared a COVID-19 watch on Montreal 5, a resident home area at Providence Manor.

The COVID-19 watch comes after the confirmation of a staff member on Montreal 5 testing positive for COVID-19. The COVID-19 watch is a heightened form of COVID-19 surveillance, Providence Care said in a press release on Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021.

“At this time, we don’t meet the criteria for declaring an outbreak. However, a COVID-19 watch has all the same measures,” Heather Candon, Providence Care’s Infection Prevention and Control Director, said in a statement.

“Residents with confirmed contact with the positive case are being tested for the virus and will be put on additional precautions or quarantined for 10 days. Care teams will also be testing the rest of the residents on Montreal 5 and closely monitoring them.”

According to Providence Care, there are 35 residents living on Montreal 5 at Providence Manor, and “at this time, no residents are showing signs or symptoms of the virus,” the press release stated.

“Given the recent spike in COVID-19 cases and community spread in the area, our Infection Prevention and Control, and Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness teams were prepared for this,” said Krystal Mack, Providence Manor Administrator. “All staff members working in the home are fully vaccinated, as are the vast majority of residents. We also have safety precautions in place, including wearing personal protective equipment, practicing physical distancing and good hand hygiene. We’ve also informed staff if they have any COVID-19 symptoms to get tested immediately. Because of these practices, the risk of transmission to residents and other staff is considered low.”

Providence Care said that Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (KFL&A) Public Health has been notified of the positive case, and the two organizations are working closely. Providence Care has also reached out to all residents and their loved ones at the long-term care home to inform them about the positive case, they said, noting they will not be sharing any additional information about the case for confidentiality reasons.

To help limit the spread of infection, Providence Manor has implemented several additional measures, including:

• Montreal 5 is closed to admissions.
• General visitors are temporarily prohibited from the resident home area during the watch. Only essential visitors (those with a loved one nearing end-of-life), designated care partners and essential caregivers are permitted to visit Montreal 5. Also, only one person may visit at a time and they must wear appropriate personal protective equipment.
• Any staff that came in close contact with the confirmed case are being contacted and monitored for signs and symptoms over the next 10 days.
• All Providence Care staff members at all sites are actively screened daily for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. They must also wear appropriate personal protective equipment, practice physical distancing and good hand hygiene.
• Staff is closely monitoring all Providence Manor residents to identify potential cases early.
• Enhanced housekeeping measures are in place including extra cleaning of all high touch surfaces and common areas.
• As per a Ministry of Long-Term Care directive, staff must participate in randomized COVID-19 surveillance testing once a week.
• As per a Ministry of Long-Term Care directive, all general and essential visitors who are not fully vaccinated must participate in mandatory on-site COVID-19 surveillance testing

Providence Care is a healthcare provider in southeastern Ontario, providing specialized care in aging, mental health and rehabilitation. The organization consists of Providence Care Hospital, Providence Transitional Care Centre, Providence Manor long-term care home, and more than 20 community-based support and mental health services across the region.