There was an indeterminate case of COVID-19 at a restaurant in Saugeen Shores reported on Saturday June 27th to the Health Unit. It is our protocol to investigate each Probable or Indeterminate Case with the same rigor as Confirmed Positive. The Infectious Disease team at the Grey Bruce Health Unit completed the required Case and Contact Management as per public health protocols within 3 hours of receiving the lab result, and ensured all close contacts are safe and acting appropriately to prevent further transmission. Public Health is leading this Outbreak Investigation, and the Infectious Disease team is working with the restaurant to ensure all safety practices are in place.

Closing the workplace was not directed nor recommended by Public Health. Disinfection is required by all workplaces on ongoing basis before the identification of a case. Because test results take 3 or more days to come back from the lab, and because the virus left on surfaces may not survive more than 2 days, the reporting of a case should not warrant closure to disinfect nor increased disinfection.

Public health contacted all close contacts, and is managing their isolation as required. Further precautions will be communicated and taken as needed. At this time, there is no need for the pubic to be concerned. If an individual had connection to the restaurant as a worker or as a customer, and was not contacted by public health, there is no need for the individual to be concerned.

“I would like to reassure the public and employers that Public Health conducts outbreak investigations, and manages outbreaks in the community including in workplaces on a regular basis” Says the Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Ian Arra. “If the need be, we work with the employer to prevent further transmission. With every workplace related case identified in Grey and Bruce there was a thorough assessment of the risk of transmission in the workplace. If there was potential risk of transmission, full response and control was implemented. The lack of hospitalization and death shows the high success rate of our outbreak management. We owe this success to the Infectious Disease Team”.

source: media release, Grey Bruce Health Unit