Media Release, Health Unit - St. Lawrence Lodge

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit

October 26, 2020

Outbreak declared in St. Lawrence Lodge in Brockville

The Health Unit is working with St. Lawrence Lodge in Brockville to manage a COVID-19 outbreak. One staff member has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Infection control measures under the Long-Term Care Home Act have been put in place to manage the outbreak and are being monitored by the Health Unit.  The staff member is at home self-isolating and following the direction of public health and ministry requirements.

St. Lawrence Lodge provided this statement: “At St. Lawrence Lodge, our primary focus is the health and safety of our residents and staff. Since the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, our management team has been monitoring the situation and updating our actions accordingly. Residents of long-term care homes have been identified as a vulnerable group and our focus has been on keeping our residents safe while providing high quality, resident-centered care.”

“Along with the increase in local cases of COVID-19, this outbreak serves as a reminder to the community to continue to be COVID-SMART,” says Dr. Paula Stewart, Medical Officer of Health. “I encourage everyone to self-isolate if you have COVID-19 symptoms and get tested, wear a mask or face covering when you cannot maintain a distance of 2 metres from others, and to practice regular hand hygiene.”

The best way to get reliable information about COVID-19 is by visiting https://healthunit.org/health-information/covid-19/. Please call the Health Unit if you have any questions at 1-800-660-5853 from 8:30 to 4:30 every day. You can also get important public health updates by connecting with LGLHealthunit on Facebook and Twitter.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with someone with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19, self-isolate at home and then use Ontario's Self-Assessment Tool https://covid-19.ontario.ca/self-assessment/. Information about local COVID-19 assessment centres is available by visiting https://healthunit.org/health-information/covid-19/assessment-testing-results/

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After an outbreak is declared, we do not report on further cases or status of cases. The facility is responsible for the information about their staff and residents so they decide whether to release personal information.

For media interviews, contact: Katie Jackson, Manager, 613-812-0416 or katie.jackson@healthunit.org, or Susan Healey, Communications Co-ordinator, 613-802-0550 or susan.healey@healthunit.org