Health officials in Ontario investigating whether second COVID-19 care home outbreak is linked to U.K. variant

The U.K. variant of COVID-19 behind a devastating outbreak at a long-term care home in Barrie, Ont., is also being investigated as the possible source of infections at a second facility in the region.

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit announced on Sunday that it has received another laboratory-confirmed case for the highly contagious variant first detected in the United Kingdom. This individual was in close contact with a person who is part of a COVID-19 outbreak at Bradford Valley Care Community, Charles Gardner, Simcoe Muskoka’s medical officer of health, told reporters.

“So just to be clear, we only have the one laboratory confirmation today with regards to this situation,” Dr. Gardner said, adding that the health unit is pursuing further testing to determine whether anyone who lives or works at the Bradford Valley long-term care home has the variant known as UK B 1.1.7.

A total of six residents and three staff members at Bradford Valley have tested positive for COVID-19.

U.K. variant of COVID-19 at Barrie, Ont. long-term care home infects all but two residents

The individual who has tested positive for the U.K. variant is also connected to a retail outlet that provides curbside service where two positive cases of the virus have been confirmed. “We are investigating that as another point of contact in the community,” Dr. Gardner said.

The outbreak of the virus at the Bradford long-term care home began on Jan. 14 and is well under control at this time, he said in a statement.

However, he added, “the possibility of this being due to the U.K. variant needs to be assessed and managed, given its increased transmissibility.”

The 230-bed home is owned by Sienna Senior Living, one of Canada’s largest operators of for-profit long-term care homes.

“We are being extremely vigilant in our monitoring for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and are taking all of the necessary steps to protect the safety of our residents and team members,” Sienna’s chief medical officer Andrea Moser said in the statement.

The latest development follows the announcement on Saturday that a genome sequencing test identified the U.K. variant in six COVID-19 samples taken from Roberta Place, a long-term care home in Barrie where a devastating outbreak has infected all but two residents and killed 40 as of Sunday. An essential caregiver has also died of COVID-19 and 86 staff have tested positive.

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Source:- The Globe and Mail

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