No new deaths were reported today connected to the COVID-19 outbreak at Roberta Place in south-end Barrie, but 10 more staff have tested positive for the virus.
On Monday, Roberta Place community relations co-ordinator Stephanie Barber told BarrieToday that there are now 63 cases among residents at the long-term care home, which is an increase of one, as well as 53 confirmed cases among team members in the past 24-hour period.
The death toll at the Essa Road facility remains at nine people.
Numbers have climbed steadily since the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit declared an outbreak in the long-term care home on Jan. 8.
Barber noted Roberta Place has also entered into a voluntary agreement with Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) to take on a temporary leadership role at the facility in hopes of bringing the outbreak under control.
“Since the beginning of this outbreak, we have been fortunate to have an outpouring of support from countless health-system partners and have worked tirelessly to advocate for additional assistance through said partners and the Ministry of Health,” she said.
“When the voluntary agreement was offered to Roberta Place through OSMH, we welcomed the opportunity, as we believe in the added support it will afford our home as we work to contain and overcome the COVID-19 outbreak," Barber added.
Under the order, OSMH will provide leadership support at the facility, working with other organizations that have been providing assistance, including Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, the County of Simcoe, the Red Cross and Georgian College. Some of that assistance includes ensuring that staffing, training, and equipment and supplies are in place so that the facility can continue to respond to and control the outbreak.
As of Monday, all residents and staff at the facility had been tested for COVID-19. Testing is also underway to determine if the UK variant strain is part of this outbreak.
