Test Results Come Back Negative At The Pines Long-Term Care

The District of Muskoka has issued the following statement:

The health and safety of all of our residents and staff remains our top priority.  Thank you to the community for expressing your support to the Pines during this very challenging time.  Our residents, their families and our staff truly appreciate the encouragement and best wishes you have shared with us.

We are very pleased to share that test results for COVID-19 and influenza A and B for the four symptomatic residents identified on Tuesday have come back negative.

Yesterday a fifth resident displayed mild symptoms and was also moved to the isolation area that has been prepared in the home.  This resident’s family has been notified and diagnostic swabs were taken for testing.   There are no results for this fifth resident at this time. The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) will again notify us as soon as any results are available.  Due to this additional resident showing symptoms, SMDHU has extended outbreak designation to the entire home facility as per protocols for any potential respiratory outbreak.

We continue to work very closely with SMDHU to ensure all necessary precautions are taken and protocols are followed.   We continue to take deliberate steps to ensure the health and wellbeing of our residents and staff including:

1. Restricting all visitors, volunteers and non-essential health care personnel from visiting the facility, except for compassionate reasons such as end-of-life situations.
2. Actively screening all residents twice daily
3. Actively screening all health care personnel for respiratory symptoms including actively checking temperatures for a fever at the beginning of each shift. Anyone with these symptoms will not be permitted to enter the facility at any time.

We will continue to provide updates and advise on whether the results of the laboratory results have been received and he next steps to be taken.