COVID-19 Case Reported in Local Shelter System Resident is in Self-Isolation; Outbreak Declared at Brock Mission
Written by Comms Team, March 17, 2021
Peterborough Public Health and the City of Peterborough are reporting a positive case of COVID-19 associated with the Brock Mission emergency shelter.
“I’m pleased to report that the individual was already self-isolating, away from the congregate setting at Brock Mission, when we received the positive test result,” said Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health. “We are grateful for the efforts of the shelter staff who have been following public health protocols for the last year, screening individuals and monitoring for symptoms to direct people to isolation for testing. Their dedication to the safety of people who use the emergency shelters was key in this situation. The advance planning efforts of shelter system staff and management, our team at PPH, and Social Services staff established protocols early in the pandemic to protect this vulnerable population from COVID-19.”
This is the only positive case that has been identified in the Peterborough emergency shelter system to date. Shelter staff have already begun implementing additional public health measures, such as enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of common areas and high-touch surfaces.
Surveillance testing will start today and has been arranged at the Brock Mission thanks to the support of the Peterborough Paramedics.
While measures have been put in place in the shelter system to reduce the chance of spread of COVID-19 such as limiting capacities to increase physical distancing, medical grade barriers, and expanding the overflow shelter bed program to a 24-hours-a-day service from its former overnight program to add capacity to the shelter system, additional transmission in shelters is possible as they are congregate living settings and outbreaks in shelters have occurred across the province.
According to Ministry of Health guidelines, only one case in a congregate living setting constitutes an outbreak. Peterborough Public Health is actively supporting the shelter to ensure measures are in place to keep residents and staff safe, including isolating and testing any high-risk contacts of the case.
It is not known if this case was the result of a variant of concern as the positive sample indicated “low level detected” which means it cannot be screened for a variant strain.
“Through the efforts of shelter staff and management, the assistance from Peterborough Public Health, support from Social Services staff, and the cooperation from people who are using the shelter system, we’re working together to help protect the most vulnerable in our community. Shelter staff and Public Health quickly responded to this situation to assist this individual and to take the necessary follow up steps to keep residents and staff safe. With the addition of the new 24-hours-a-day shelter space on Wolfe Street, the protective measures in place, and the isolation shelter program, our shelter system is in a good position to respond to this situation and to keep providing this essential service for people in our community,” Mayor Diane Therrien said.
Visit www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca for the latest local updates about COVID-19 and how you can stay safe. Future positive cases of COVID-19 will be reported on www.localcovidtracker.ca.
Visit Ontario’s website to learn more about how the province continues to protect Ontarians from COVID-19.
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For further information, please contact:
Brittany Cadence, Communications Manager
Peterborough Public Health
705-743-1000, ext. 391
or
Brendan Wedley, Communications Manager
City of Peterborough
705-742-7777, ext. 1636