Ontario long-term care home grappling with worsening COVID-19 outbreak

TORONTO -

A long-term care home in Ontario is grappling with a growing COVID-19 outbreak being fuelled by the super-contagious Delta variant.

Halton Public Health declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Tansley Woods long-term care home in Burlington on June 28 when there were only three cases.

In a statement to CTV News Toronto on Saturday, the home said there are currently 16 residents and one team member that are positive for the Delta variant of COVID-19.

“Public Health officials were on-site yesterday at The Village of Tansley Woods to conduct an independent infection prevention and control audit, and we have specialists with our Schlegel Villages support office on-site to support the home’s Medical Director," General Manager Jo-Anna Gurd said.

"The Village has added extra team members in the affected neighbourhoods, and is doing everything possible to prevent further infections and support everyone in the Village."

One staff member has also fully recovered.

Gurd said currently 86 per cent of staff at the home have received their first vaccine.

She also said that they're hoping the number of staff fully vaccinated increases following a mobile on-site vaccination clinic that will be available on Wednesday.

The home did not say how many of the residents infected at the home are vaccinated against COVID-19 or if any required treatment in hospital.

As of May 30, the Ontario government estimated that 97 per cent of long-term care home residents in the province were fully immunized.

The government also announced an immunization policy for staff at the homes.

Under the policy, each staff member must either provide proof of each vaccine dose, provide a documented medical reason for not being vaccinated, or participate in an educational program about the benefits of vaccination.