The Grey Bruce Health Unit is working with Kelso Villa Retirement Home in Owen Sound to address an outbreak of COVID-19 associated with six cases, one staff and five residents.

All six individuals were fully vaccinated. None of the cases has severe COVID-19 disease; all have mild symptoms.  Vaccine levels in the home  are at 95% for residents, so the risk of disease spread is decreased providing a higher level of protection to all both vaccinated and unvaccinated. More importantly, the risk of severe disease and hospitalization in the residents who are fully vaccinated has significantly diminished.

The individuals who tested positive have been contacted directly by the COVID-19 Case and Contact Management Team at Public Health. "We are working with the cases and the Retirement Home to identify others, both in and out of the work environment, who may have been exposed and to determine their risk level,", said Ian Arra, Medical Officer of Health. "A Public Health case manager will contact anyone identified as a contact to the confirmed case, both in and outside of the Retirement Home environment."

The Grey Bruce Health Unit will direct staff and residents in the Retirement Home to test within the facility, as directed by Public Health. Those considered at risk outside of the work environment, will be directed to testing within their local assessment centre, or other feasible location on the appropriate and recommended date.

Dr. Arra says there is no value in anyone being tested ahead of being notified and instructed to do so by Public Health as results would be unreliable and would put individuals at risk of more testing than is required. "All contact tracing and determination of individual and community risk is made by Public Health. This is true of all cases, whether in Retirement Homes, workplaces or the community. A health care provider or workplace official cannot make this decision."

source: Grey Bruce Health Unit