Editor's note: The health unit has declared an outbreak at St. Mary's Gardens in Timmins
Three new COVID-19 cases are being reported in the Porcupine Health Unit area today.
Medical officer of health Dr. Lianne Catton is also confirming the new cases include a staff member at another local retirement home has tested positive.
These new cases bring the total number of cases in the region to 45.
The 43rd case is a Timmins man in his 50s. The investigation into the cause is ongoing and he is in self-isolation.
The 44th case is a Timmins woman in her 40s who is in self-isolation. The investigation is ongoing.
A man in his 60s is the 45th case and the investigation is ongoing. He is in self-isolation and in the area of Cochrane, Matheson, Iroquois Falls, and Smooth Rock Falls.
The Ministry of Health requires an outbreak to be declared when one positive case is confirmed in a resident or staff.
Catton said more details on the specific retirement home affected by today's confirmation will be available later in the day. The delay is to allow for the information to be communicated to staff, residents and family members first.
“We are working with all local longterm care homes, which in our case includes nursing homes and retirement homes, to provide them with all the updates that have been coming in on a regular basis including several last night and yesterday in order to protect all staff and residents from the spread of COVID-19,” she said.
An outbreak at Spruce Hill Lodge was announced Saturday, April 11 after a woman in her 90s who is a resident tested positive. The first Timmins outbreak was at Extendicare after a staff member tested positive.
For the local cases, 26 are in Timmins and 10 of those are resolved, 18 are in the area of Cochrane, Matheson, Iroquois Falls, and Smooth Rock Falls and 10 of those are resolved, and one is in the area of Kapuskasing, Opasatika, Val Rita-Harty, Moonbeam, and Fauquier-Strickland and is resolved.
The health unit is doing expanded testing on people with milder symptoms for a limited time.
Up until now, the main COVID-19 symptoms have been cough, fever, and difficulty breathing. The expanded list now includes: sore throat/hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing, loss of smell or taste, fatigue, muscle aches, runny nose, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and nausea or vomiting.
There are COVID-19 assessment centres in Timmins, Cochrane, Iroquois Falls, Kapuskasing and Hornepayne. They are by appointment only and you must be referred by your primary healthcare provider or the health unit.
The PHU COVID-19 information line is open until 7:30 p.m. today. It can be reached at 705-267-1181 or 1-800-461-1818.
