KITCHENER -- As COVID-19 cases continue to climb at their facility, a retirement home outbreak in Woodstock is asking for help to deal with their outbreak.
The outbreak at Caressant Care Woodstock was declared on Jan. 21 and, as of Sunday, 38 residents and nine staff members have been infected.
The company requested assistance from regional hospitals, public health, EMS, and local health integrated networks within days of the outbreak being declared.
"When you're in an outbreak, the main thing you're trying to do is contain it and make sure your residents are okay," said Stuart Oakley with Caressant Care. "That is helping to manage the outbreak and ensure that we have the appropriate staffing levels and the resources that we need.
"It's actually quite unbelievable the amount of support that's being given to the home at the moment."
Three new cases were also reported in the home over the weekend.
Oakley says that the people infected in the outbreak are showing either no symptoms or very mild ones.
"There's nobody that's on oxygen," he said. "There's nobody that's in distress. That's a positive thing."
The home says it received new cell phones on Friday to help residents connect with loved ones. They've also asked visitors to refrain from coming to the facility.
Meals are being brought to residents' room as a tray service as they isolate waiting on further test results.
On Wednesday, Southwest Public Health said it completed the first dose of vaccinations for all eligible long-term care and retirement home residents in the region, including Carresant Care facilities.
"A number of our homes have had, in some way, shape or form, at least the first does of vaccine given to residents and staff," said Oakley.
He adds that, with all they've experienced, the external help is effecting in managing outbreaks.
Correction:
A previous version of this story stated that the outbreak was at the long-term care home. In fact, it was at the retirement home.
