Visits suspended after outbreak on floor of CHSLD in Laval

A long-term care home in Laval is working to contain a COVID-19 outbreak on one of its floors this weekend.

The regional health authority, the CISSS de Laval, confirmed that as of Saturday, 11 patients and seven employees at CHSLD Idola Saint-Jean have tested positive.

After a positive case was detected on Monday, a hot zone with the capacity for 15 people was created, said CISSS de Laval assistant director Geneviève Goudreau.

All confirmed cases have been moved to the hot zone and any staff who tested positive or are showing symptoms have been sent home.

Testing is underway for staff and residents on the floor, and on-site testing for all residents is being organized as well, Goudreau said.

Union spokesperson Katie Chamberland-Langlois said the outbreak on the floor happened rapidly.

She said staff are worried about the virus spreading to their families and the families of residents.

Visits and new admissions to the care home have now been suspended. The CISSS has contacted all those who visited the care home since Sept. 7, advising them to get tested.

During the first wave of the pandemic, CHSLD Idola Saint-Jean had nine infected patients, three of whom died.

One major change since the first wave is that workers are not moving from care home to care home, Goudreau said, which should help limit the spread of the virus.

"There is no movement of personnel. All personnel are on a dedicated team. That is a priority," she said.

But Goudreau said the labour shortage among health-care workers remains a "significant challenge."

Some patient attendants trained in the province's summer program are already working at the care home, with more expected at the CHSLD by mid-October, Chamberland-Langois said.