It has been a week since any COVID-related fatalities have been reported at the Roberta Place long-term care home — where the staggering death toll has reached 70 people — and almost two weeks since the last positive case was reported among residents.
Since the outbreak was declared Jan. 8 by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, there have been 66 confirmed COVID cases and three considered probable, all of whom are residents. One essential caregiver associated with the 137-bed facility also died after contracting the virus.
Active cases among staff/team member were at 13 on Monday.
BarrieToday reached out to Roberta Place officials on Tuesday for an update, but had not heard back as of the time of publication.
The figures being reported in the last few days for the Roberta Place outbreak now include “probable” cases, defined as any staff or resident who was on site on or after Jan. 5 presenting with symptoms compatible with COVID-19.
On a media call Tuesday, Simcoe-Muskoka medical officer of health Dr. Charles Gardner said he would be hesitant to make a guess to when the outbreak could be declared over.
“It has to be 14 days after the onset of the last case and I wouldn’t speculate at this time about a date,” Gardner said. “We still have the potential for staff cases to be occurring.”
Roberta Place personal support worker Andrea Damas told BarrieToday that things at the Essa Road home are getting back to a sense of normalcy now. Residents are allowed to sit in the dining room, albeit with dividers, and music is filling the halls.
While she is “mentally exhausted,” Damas said the experience has brought everyone together.
“There is so much love in that building right now,” she said. “The staff are there for each other and the residents more than ever and we are inspired by the outpouring of love from the community.”
