New outbreak at women’s shelter

Also three new cases at Heritage Green despite outbreak being declared over at the Stoney Creek nursing home last week

Three residents at Heritage Green have tested positive for COVID-19 — just days after an outbreak at the Stoney Creek nursing home was declared over.

The first outbreak at the 167-bed home spanned more than five weeks. That outbreak ended Monday, but Hamilton Public Health said it would continue testing asymptomatic residents and staff, as per a provincial directive.

Public health declared a new outbreak May 1.

The city’s health unit said all three positive cases were asymptomatic and that there are currently no symptomatic staff or residents at the home.

An outbreak was also declared Sunday at Mission Services’ Inasmuch House, a 37-bed shelter for women and their children, after a staff member tested positive over the weekend.

Wendy Kennelly, the agency’s associate executive director, said around 30 clients and 30 staff who possibly came into contact with the case will be tested.

She said 14 clients and six staff have already tested negative since Saturday.

“It’s obviously concerning because we have a lot of women, children and staff at the shelter, but we’re confident that we’ve been doing everything within the best of our abilities to keep things sterilized and high-touch surfaces clean on a regular basis,” Kennelly said.

The new cases at Heritage Green bring its total infections to 15 residents and

three staff. Four residents have died.

An email Heritage Green management sent to families said the cases were identified after public health’s first round of testing.

“Please know that it was never our intent to be out of outbreak,” the email read. “However, we are governed by public health.”

Public health declares an outbreak over 14 days after the last positive resident began showing symptoms or 14 days after the last positive staff member worked a shift.

Heritage Green took issue with public health’s decision to end the outbreak this week, calling it premature to declare it over considering test results of asymptomatic staff and residents were still pending.

“We did not want to be declared ‘out’ of outbreak only to find we would be back ‘in’ outbreak,” administrator Scott Kozachenko said in an email sent to families Tuesday.

“Finding a positive result for a resident or staff would be so disappointing and discouraging to everyone … Unfortunately, public health did not agree with Heritage Green or see the wisdom in this (and) have gone ahead with their announcement.”

Public health said that nearly one-fifth of all long-term care home residents and staff have been tested for COVID-19. That’s part of an April 22 provincial order, requiring all staff and residents to be tested.

Coronavirus cases are now present in four of the city’s 27 long-term care facilities. Besides Heritage Green, homes with outbreaks include Dundurn Place Care Centre, where six residents and three staff tested positive and two residents died; St. Joseph’s Villa, where one resident tested positive; and Grace Villa Nursing Home, where one staff member tested positive.

Outbreaks are ongoing at 10 other locations throughout the city.

Hamilton had 447 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Sunday, up 15 from Friday. There are also seven presumptive cases. The number of resolved cases sits at 279, up 11 from the day prior.