The Canadian Press
TORONTO — An Ontario health unit says one nursing home has seen seven COVID-19 deaths and at least 24 staff members infected.
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit has said the outbreak at Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Ont., is believed to be the largest in the province.
The health unit says 10 other staff members are awaiting test results, and another person in the community has died in a case linked to the nursing home.
Ontario reported 351 new COVID-19 cases Monday, the largest single-day increase by far, which health officials attribute at least in part to clearing a backlog of pending test results.
Ontario’s chief medical officer of health is recommending that everyone in the province – especially people over 70 and with compromised immune systems – stay home except for essential reasons.
Premier Doug Ford says medical supply lines will be “seriously challenged” if there is a massive surge of people into hospitals in the next two weeks, and all options – including further shut downs – are on the table.
Information on how people became infected is still pending for nearly half of all cases in Ontario. About 16 per cent are attributed to community spread, 26 per cent to recent travel, and nearly 10 per cent to close contact.
