All residents, staff at 9 long-term care homes in Ottawa tested for COVID-19
There are currently 21 outbreaks at Ottawa long-term care and retirement homes
All residents and staff at nine long-term care homes in Ottawa were tested for COVID-19 over the weekend as the province expands surveillance testing in facilities across Ontario.
In a statement to CBC News, Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Brent Moloughney said Ottawa Public Health (OPH) collaborated with the Champlain Health Region Incident Command and paramedics from the Ottawa Paramedic Service and the regional community paramedic team to conduct testing at the following locations:
- Carlingview Manor
- Extendicare Laurier Manor
- Extendicare Starwood
- Extendicare West End Villa
- Madonna Care Community
- Manoir Marochel
- Montfort LTCH
- Sarsfield Colonial Home
- Township of Osgoode Care Centre
Staff and residents who have previously tested positive for COVID-19 did not require testing, the statement said.
Any staff members who were not available while testing teams were on-site will receive letters recommending they get tested as soon as possible, it continued.
In a tweet, the Ottawa Paramedic Service said 24 paramedics deployed to long-term care homes on Saturday took 554 swabs at two locations.
There are currently 21 active COVID-19 outbreaks at long-term care and retirement homes in Ottawa. Three others have been declared resolved.
According to data released on Sunday, 269 residents and 126 staff at long-term care and retirements homes have tested positive for COVID-19 in the city over the course of the crisis. Another 38 residents have died of complications from the respiratory disease.
- 'Something is bound to break': More long-term care staff needed, families say
- COVID-19 hitting Ottawa's nursing homes hard
Ontario health officials announced last week they would expand testing in long-term care facilities, which have been especially hard-hit by COVID-19. The new strategy would include "active surveillance," in which all residents and staff are tested for the disease.
The province's previous policy was to test only the contacts of people confirmed to be carrying the virus or others showing symptoms.
