By ALI RAZA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The number of COVID-19 cases at the Main Street Terrace long-term care home has dropped following efforts from Michael Garron Hospital and Toronto Public Health.
The first positive case in the second wave came on Oct. 13 at the home located at 77 Main St.
On Friday, Oct. 23, Revera Retirement Living and Long-Term Care Services informed family members that an outbreak had occurred in the home. By Monday, Nov. 2, the case number had reached a peak of 65.
As of Friday, Nov. 6, the number of active cases is down to 53, as per provincial government data. There are also seven active cases of staff members who are self-isolating at home.
The home has 150 beds, which led to a quick response from Revera to the outbreak with assistance from Michael Garron Hospital and Toronto Public Health.
Outbreak management teams took necessary precautions and protocols, in addition to testing all residents in the home. The dining room was closed, and services were moved to room delivery only.
A re-testing sequence for patients occurred on Monday, Nov. 3.
The office of Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford is monitoring the outbreak closely, working with city counterparts and Revera.
“My thoughts are still with the loved ones of everyone impacted by this outbreak. Toronto Public Health is aware of the situation and has been supporting an Outbreak Management Team to make sure residents have everything they need,” Bradford said.
“A strong action plan is in place including making sure there’s enough staffing support, making sure staff are being managed in proper cohorts, and coordination with staff at Michael Garron Hospital through their Nurse Led Outreach Team. A testing sequence is also in place. The MGH team is helping to assess symptoms and managing COVID-positive residents. There aren’t any staff shortages and there are all the appropriate levels of personal protective equipment.”
Members of the community have expressed interest in supporting residents at Main Street Terrace. Bradford recommends people reach out to his office to coordinate such efforts given that visitors are not permitted at the home during the outbreak.
“It’s important that responding to the outbreak stays the top priority for everyone at the facility,” he said.
“If there are donations, messages of support or other community-led efforts that come together, I’ll be glad to support the community’s coming together on this while we’re all staying physically apart.”
Bradford’s office can be reached by email at Councillor_Bradford@toronto.ca or by calling 416-338-2755.
The Ontario Health Coalition tracked cases in long-term care homes between Sept. 18 and Oct. 28 and showed that there were 97 active outbreaks as of Oct. 28 in long-term care homes in the province. Other outbreaks had also been tracked in hospitals and retirement homes.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic we have found that the total number of people infected by COVID-19 in health and congregate care settings including staff and patients/residents is 13,813 as of Oct. 28, having increased by 1,804 people or 13.1 per cent in six weeks,” a statement by OHC read.
Revera did not respond to a request for comment.
Ali Raza is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for Beach Metro News. His reporting is funded by the Government of Canada through its Local Journalism Initiative.
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