FORT FRANCES – A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at the Rainycrest long-term care home in Fort Frances, after two staff members tested positive.
All residents of the 164-bed home will be tested immediately, said Riverside Health Care, which operates the facility.
Riverside announced the two cases Saturday in a release. As required by provincial guidelines,
“In addition to the protocols instituted by the Northwestern Health Unit related to close contacts of these individuals, we are implementing additional precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
That will include increasing staff testing to twice per week, thanks to the introduction of rapid antigen testing.
Visitation at the home is now restricted to palliative residents.
The home experienced a previous outbreak in January that saw three residents and one staff member test positive.
All willing and eligible residents of the home have since been vaccinated. Riverside Health Care was not immediately able to specify what percentage of residents that included Saturday, though a representative said it would constitute at least a majority.
The agency noted it expected additional vaccines to arrive in Fort Frances in the coming week, with priority recipients including LTC residents for first or second doses, and LTC staff and priority hospital staff for first doses.
source tbnewswatch