THUNDER BAY - The province continues to battle the increasing spread of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities and is bringing in the Canadian Forces to assist and calling for all residents and staff province-wide to be tested.
While there are still no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in long-term care in Thunder Bay, facilities are testing residents and staff exhibiting even minor symptoms, while there are plans to increase testing to those showing no symptoms.
On Wednesday, the Ford Government announced it is calling in the Canadian Forces to assist at five long-term care homes in Southern Ontario experiencing an outbreak of the virus.
Canadian Forces personnel will provide staffing relief to allow workers to care for residents in homes currently experiencing an outbreak.
“We have a duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves,” Premier Doug Ford said on Wednesday. “We are doing everything we can as a province to support these homes and these residents.”
In Ontario, there are 128 long-term care facilities experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19 and there have been more than 400 deaths linked to these facilities.
In an effort to reduce the spread, the province is also calling for increased testing of both symptomatic and asymptomatic residents and staff. As of Wednesday, more than 11,600 tests have been conducted.
“We have the resources, we have all the items we need to do the testing, so we are going to do it rapidly and as fast as we can,” Ford said. “Get in there and test every single person we possibly can. It might take a few weeks, but we are going to make sure we expedite it every day.”
According to Lee Mesic, administrator at Pioneer Ridge in Thunder Bay, all residents and staff exhibiting even minor symptoms of not feeling well are being tested.
Staff are conducting tests of residents and paramedics are testing staff and Mesic said additional screening will be taking place next week.
A spokesperson with St. Joseph’s Care Group said they are testing asymptomatic residents and staff at Bethammi Nursing Home and Hogarth Riverview Manor and active screening and testing is still underway.
There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in any long-term care facilities in the city and restrictions on visitations were put in place last month and staff are limited to working in a single facility.
