Head of Thunder Bay health unit says there's no evidence of COVID-19 spread at Hogarth Manor

The Thunder District Health Unit (TBDHU) continues to monitor a COVID-19 outbreak at Hogarth Riverview Manor "very closely," though public health officials believe there is no evidence of spread within the facility at this time.

The TBDHU declared the outbreak on Saturday after a staff member at Hogarth Riverview Manor, a St. Joseph Care Group facility, tested positive for the virus.

"This individual actually happened to be tested because ... of broader testing happening with residents and staff at the long-term care facilities, and this one was picked up," said Dr. Janet DeMille, medical officer of health for the TBDHU, in an interview with CBC on Monday.

She added that since the individual developed symptoms, it is likely they would have been tested regardless of recent changes to testing within these facilities.

Strict Guidelines in place for long-term care facilities

The broader screening protocols are a part of new policy put in place by the Ontario government late last month in response to the growing number of COVID-19 cases, and deaths, at long-term care facilities in the province.

Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario's associate chief medical officer of health, described the new strategy as "active surveillance." The province's previous policy was to test only the contacts of people confirmed to be carrying the virus or others showing symptoms.

Declaring an outbreak in response to the one positive case at Hogarth Riverview Manor is another part of evolving public health guidelines in long-term care facilities, explained DeMille.

"Even just one individual, whether it's one resident or one staff person according to our current guidance, we would declare an outbreak for that, and that is a lower threshold than we normally have for declaring an outbreak," She said. "It just recognizes particular vulnerabilities of that sector ... at this time as we navigate COVID."

DeMille said the "significant situations" in long-term care facilities in other parts of the province, and across the country, have created strict guidelines that have allowed the TBDHU, in collaboration with St. Joseph's Care Group, to handle the situation at Hogarth Riverview Manor.

"We have been preparing for this...it gives you that heavy feeling though when you realize that, oh you know, there's somebody positive who's been in that facility," she said.

DeMille added that staff at the facility were checking residents over the weekend, and so far no one has presented any COVID-19 symptoms. She said that she's hopeful early measures that have been put in place will prevent any spread of the virus.

"We don't have evidence at the present time that it's spread to anybody," DeMille said. "Hopefully, with the additional measures that were put in place and additional monitoring that we'll do ... we will catch anything really early, or, you know, prevent that spread from happening."

As of now, DeMille said residents are restricted in their rooms, and "tighter" enforcement practices are being implemented through infection prevention and control staff.

In an interview with CBC on April 17, Lisa Levin CEO of AvantAge Ontario, an association that represents not-for-profit long-term care housing and services, said Thunder Bay-area facilities have been a leader in the province during the pandemic.

"Apparently a few weeks back a number of homes got together and said to each other that this is probably going to be coming, that they want to protect the residents in their homes from getting COVID-19, and so they work together to coordinate having their staff ... shifted around so they could have full-time staff dedicated to their facility," she said.

DeMille said measures that were already in place before the Hogarth Riverview Manor staff member tested positive for COVID-19 will likely reduce the risk of transmission of the virus at the facility.

"It's very clear though that there were really a lot of measures already in place in advance of this that likely ... reduced the risk of ongoing transmission," she said.