4 staff test positive for COVID-19 at Kitchener's Sunnyside Home

Four staff members at Sunnyside Home in Kitchener who didn't show any symptoms have tested positive for COVID-19, the regionally run long-term care home says.

The employees were tested after a resident was found to have the novel coronavirus on June 18.

"As part of Sunnyside's outbreak protocols, all staff and residents were re-tested for COVID-19.  During this testing, four staff tested positive for COVID-19 although they had no symptoms," the region says on Sunnyside Home's website.

"These staff work in different areas of the home and to the best of our knowledge these cases are not related to one another. These cases are also not related to the earlier positive resident result."

The region also said all staff were wearing personal protective equipment including face masks and shields while working "so the risk of residents and other staff at Sunnyside is minimal."

All the staff members are isolating at home, the region said. Visits to the long-term care home are on hold until the outbreak is declared over.

There are currently three active outbreaks at long-term care and retirement homes in Waterloo region. It includes the cases at Sunnyside Home, one case of a resident at Parkwood Mennonite retirement home in Waterloo and the massive outbreak at Forest Heights Revera in Kitchener, where 178 people living there and 69 people who work at the home have tested positive for COVID-19. As well, 51 people at the home have died from the virus.

In total, 115 people have died in Waterloo region from COVID-19, with 95 of those deaths being people who lived in long-term care or retirement homes.