The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit has declared an outbreak at Cassellholme.
Thirteen individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in relation to the outbreak, however, none of these individuals are residents. These cases are part of the eighteen new cases announced earlier in the day. One individual has received a preliminary positive result for a Variant of Concern (VOC). The individuals tested positive following routine surveillance testing of staff and essential visitors at the long-term care home. The Health Unit and Cassellholme are working closely together to monitor the situation.
“Our shared priority is to keep residents and staff safe and to reduce the spread of COVID-19 within the facility,” assures Dr. Jim Chirico, Medical Officer of Health. “I cannot stress this enough; everyone needs to follow public health measures and must stay home. It is our best defence in our fight against the current COVID-19 Variants of Concern in our district. We are on the right track with vaccination for COVID-19 underway in our district, but until the majority of us receives the vaccine, our best protection is to follow the public health measures.”
The Health Unit is urging the public to continue to practice COVID-19 public health measures especially limiting travel outside your home to essential trips only. Other measures include physical distancing, wearing a face covering, washing or sanitizing hands often and coughing or sneezing into your sleeve. The public is also required to follow the measures under the district’s continued shutdown.