Riverview Gardens in Chatham is reporting a second employee at the long-term care home has tested positive for COVID-19.
The first and only other positive test at the home was announced last week, when the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit declared an outbreak in the 2 East section of the facility.
A statement from Riverview Gardens issued Thursday morning stated that all residents and staff in that unit have since tested negative for COVID-19.
Chatham-Kent's Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby said at this point, public health officials have not been able to find a direct connection between the two employee cases. He said the first case was traced back to "close contact with a confirmed case" and the second case is still under investigation.
He said staff are tested on a regular basis, but public health officials are also recommending interim testing of staff in addition to that.
"Basically, getting tested every couple of weeks is just a snapshot in time," said Dr. Colby. "We are re-testing staff that haven't been tested in over a week and we are testing all of the residents as per the provincial guidelines for outbreak management."
At this point, no residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and a release from the home said all residents are also screened twice daily for symptoms.
"Extensive testing is being conducted and we'll just see how the results are," said Dr. Colby. "There is no indication of symptoms developing among any residents or staff... at this time, I would say the outbreak is small, but Riverview Gardens is a large facility -- we're taking this very seriously."
Only the 2 East unit was closed after the first positive test, but now, all of Riverview Gardens is in "outbreak status" and closed to visitors.
One caregiver per resident will still be allowed to come in at a time, but that person must be pre-approved and wear a yellow Caregiver button. They must also be able to provide proof that they tested negative for COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
Caregivers in all units must follow strict personal protective equipment (PPE) protocols including proper mask-wearing and frequent hand hygiene.
There are also stricter regulations in place for the 4 West unit. In that area of the home, caregivers must wear a full gown, eye protection, mask and gloves, which are all provided by the home. They also need to watch on-site PPE videos.
Residents are not permitted to leave the facility for day outings or any other non-essential absences for the duration of the outbreak, but they are still allowed to leave for medical appointments.
Any items that are being dropped off for residents should be brought to the Robertson Avenue entrance and put on a cart just inside the door.
The resident phone lines are also still being repaired, so they can make outgoing calls, but they cannot take incoming calls at this time. Families who wish to speak to a resident can leave a phone message at 519-352-4823 ext. 6137 and it will be delivered to the resident as soon as possible.
"It's really sad that this has to happen before Christmas," said Dr. Colby. "But protection is job number 1."
