One of two COVID-19 outbreaks at Providence Manor declared over

The first of two COVID-19 outbreaks declared at Providence Manor long-term care home within two days has now officially ended, according to Providence Care.

The now-over outbreak was declared in the Montreal 5 resident home area of the long-term care facility on Thursday, Mar. 31, 2022, after three residents of that wing tested positive for COVID-19.

“All Montreal 5 residents were placed on contact and aerosol precautions, monitored closely for symptoms and tested for the virus multiple times throughout the outbreak,” said Providence Care, the southeastern Ontario health care organization that oversees the long-term care home.

“All staff members who worked on Montreal 5 were also tested for COVID-19 and participated in on-going surveillance testing for the duration of the outbreak,” the organization continued, noting that, since 10 days have passed since the last confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in Montreal 5, Providence Care, along with Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (KFL&A) Public Health, declared the outbreak over on Sunday, Apr. 17, 2022.

“All residents at the long-term care home and their loved ones have been alerted,” and visiting to the residential wing of the home resumed today, Monday, Apr. 18, 2022.

Although quarantine measures have now been lifted (with the exception of visitor restrictions) at Montreal 5, the following safety measures remain in place across the long-term care facility, according to Providence Care”

• All staff members are actively screened daily for COVID-19 symptoms. They continue to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), practice physical distancing and good hand hygiene.
• All staff members, essential caregivers and designated care partners must participate in COVID-19 surveillance testing twice weekly.
• Only essential caregivers, designated care partners and essential visitors are permitted to enter Providence Manor.
• 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, all essential visitors who are not fully vaccinated must participate in mandatory on-site COVID-19 surveillance testing. Proof of vaccination is required upon entry for essential caregivers, designated care partners and general visitors.

The second outbreak of the virus at Providence Manor was declared one day later than that in the Montreal 5 resident area. On Friday, Apr. 1, 2022, a COVID-19 outbreak was declared in the Montreal 4 resident home area. That outbreak remains ongoing at this time.

While KFL&A Public Health no longer provides data regarding outbreaks within the region, as of Monday, Apr. 18, 2022 data from Providence Care indicates that the current outbreak consists of 13 total cases, and only one of those cases was among staff.

“Additional safety measures, including visitor restrictions, remain in place,” Providence Care said of the Montreal 4 resident living area of Providence Manor.

“COVID-19 protective measures, including screening, masking and reducing visitors, remain in place at all Providence Care sites until further notice. Any changes to safety measures will be informed by local and provincial data, and in consultation with our infection prevention and control team. Please visit providencecare.ca for up-to-date information on visiting protocols and current protective measures in place.”

According to KFL&A Public Health, there were four active COVID-19 outbreaks at long-term care facilities in the region, as of Friday, Apr. 15, 2022: Arbour Heights, JM Parrot Centre, Trillium Care Community, and Providence Manor. According to data from the Province of Ontario, those outbreaks can be broken down as follows:

Arbour Heights: Less than 5 confirmed resident cases and no cases among staff (less than five resident deaths).

Trillium Care Community: 15 confirmed resident cases and less than 5 cases among staff (no resident deaths).

Providence Manor: Nine confirmed resident cases and 13 cases among staff (less than five resident deaths).

The province does not provide data for the JM Parrot Centre, which is operated by the County of Lennox and Addington.