The Medical Officer of Health for Huron and Perth says the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to trend downward in the two counties.
But Dr. Miriam Klassen says the exception to the trend is in long term care homes.
She points out that when infections first started occurring in communities, there were none in the long term care homes for two or three weeks and then they started to show up. But Klassen says the residents in long term care homes don't go anywhere, they're very much a closed community. So the only way the virus gets into those homes is when it's brought in by people entering the facility.
"For three weeks, or up until now, there have been no infections and the residents don't go anywhere," said Klassen. "Then the only way it comes into the community is by those of us entering the facility and that comes from the community spread."
She adds that could be visitors and people working in long term care homes
Klassen says the downward trend in the general communities is encouraging, but that trend has not shown up yet in long term care homes, partly because of the time difference in when the virus was introduced into the homes but also because the residents there are so much more vulnerable.
Klassen adds she's optimistic that the trend in long term care homes will soon catch up with the general trends.
