Health Department works with community partners to conduct enhanced COVID-19 surveillance testing

Whitby, Ontario - Durham Region Health Department and local community partners have been working hard to conduct enhanced COVID-19 surveillance testing in local long-term care homes. This testing is part of the provincial surveillance initiative to get a point-in-time picture of COVID-19 in these facilities. The province has set a deadline of May 15 for this enhanced testing to be completed.

Since May 5, paramedics from Region of Durham Paramedic Services have obtained 739 nasal swabs for testing from long-term care residents and staff for COVID-19. As of May 8, the Health Department reports that more than 50 per cent of testing has been completed in the 19 local long-term care homes that were identified to be tested by May 15.

QUOTE

“The Health Department extends a big thank you to our partners in Durham long-term care homes for pulling together and working with us to get everyone tested, while continuing with their daily work providing care for their residents. The spread of COVID-19 in long-term care homes continues to be a very serious concern and long-term care staff recognize the importance of this testing in protecting their vulnerable population. This significant undertaking could not be achieved without a collaborative approach involving the support of our local partners in long-term care homes, Lakeridge Health and our Social Services colleagues. Thanks to the Health Department’s team of administrative services staff, public health inspectors and public health nurses who are working tirelessly to organize and monitor testing at these facilities, and the paramedics who are supporting COVID-19 response activities and conducting testing where needed.”

• Dr. Robert Kyle, Durham Region Medical Officer of Health

Quick Facts

• To date, public health nurses have managed 337 cases of COVID-19 in long-term care home residents and 138 cases in long-term care home staff. Public health nurses support these individuals who are sick with COVID-19 while they are isolated and recovering from their illness.
• Public health inspectors have managed 11 outbreaks in long term care homes, which includes assisting staff in these homes to implement additional precautions and providing further public health support.
• Administrative support staff have facilitated the testing process by managing the required data entry and preparing testing kits for 4,704 clients.

The latest information about COVID-19 and local long-term care homes is available online in the Durham Region COVID-19 Data Tracker at durham.ca/covidcases. For information on Durham Region Health Department’s COVID-19 response, visit durham.ca/novelcoronavirus.

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For more information, please contact the Health Department.