kawarthaNOW has learned there is a COVID-19 outbreak at Case Manor Care Community long-term care facility in Bobcaygeon.

Sienna Living, which operates the home, issued an update to families of residents on Sunday (April 26) indicating that four residents and four workers at the home have tested positive for COVID-19.

“We want to let you know that on April 22nd, we completed proactive testing of all residents and team member(s) with the assistance of Ross Memorial Hospital,” the update reads. “Public Health confirmed today that four residents and four team member(s) have tested positive for COVID-19.”

According to the update, the residents who have tested positive live on the first, second, and third floors and are all in isolation.

“The team is doing a tremendous job managing the situation and we are working closely with Public Health,” the update reads. “All proper precautions and directives are in place.”

According to the update, steps taken by the home include isolation protocols in all home areas (with all residents dining in their rooms), all team members wearing surgical face masks and having their temperatures taken twice per shift, frequent monitoring of all residents’ health (including temperatures checked twice daily), rigorous frequent cleaning and disinfecting of all surfaces, and prohibiting non-essential visitors (with active screening for any essential visitor, including temperature checks).

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Case Manor Care Community is a 96-bed long-term care home located at 28 Boyd Street in Bobcaygeon. It provides residential care in 57 private rooms and 39 basic rooms along with 24-hour nursing and personal care.

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit has not yet formally declared a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility, according to the latest COVID-19 report from the health unit issued on April 26th.

The other long-term care facility in Bobcaygeon, Pinecrest Nursing Home, suffered a COVID-19 outbreak break early on during the pandemic that subsequently resulted in the deaths of 28 residents. At the time, it was the largest outbreak in Ontario with the large number of deaths drawing national attention. Since then, most remaining residents at Pinecrest have recovered and are doing well.

This is a developing story.