Riverview Gardens long term care home in Chatham is being closed to visitors after a second employee tested positive for COVID-19.
The entire municipally-run facility is now closed to visitors, and only one pre-approved caregiver will be allowed to visit each resident, following strict COVID safety protocols.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Colby says they are watching the situation very closely.
“There’s no indication of symptoms developing among any residents or staff,” Dr. Colby says. “(Staff are) screened every day before they go to work so we would know if there was a greater than base-line number of people getting sick. At this time I would say the outbreak is small, but Riverview Gardens is a large facility, we’re taking this very seriously.”
Officials say 2 East is still considered in outbreak although all staff and residents have been tested and came back negative for the virus.
Read the full statement from Riverview Gardens:
RVG IS CLOSED TO VISITORS
One (1) Caregiver per resident may come in at a time. The Caregiver must be pre-approved and must wear a yellow Caregiver button. Proof of a negative COVID-19 test in the last 14 days is required. Strict personal protective equipment (PPE) protocols must be followed. This includes proper mask wearing and frequent hand hygiene. Any non-adherence will be subject to entry permission being revoked. Caregivers who enter 4 West must wear full PPE, which includes gown, eye protection, mask and gloves, which are provided by the home. Caregivers must also watch our on-site PPE Videos.
Residents may not leave the facility for non-essential absences for the duration of the outbreak. Day outings are not allowed. Medical appointments are still permitted.
We have no residents with COVID-19. We screen all residents twice daily for symptoms.
2 East is still considered in outbreak. All residents and staff were tested, and were negative for COVID-19.
Items may be dropped off at the Robertson Ave entrance and put on the cart just inside the door.
We regret that our resident phone lines remain under repair. We are working to get these fixed as quickly as we can as we know how important this line is to everyone. Residents CAN continue to phone out. In the meantime, families may phone 519-352-4823 x 6137 and leave a message. The message will be delivered to the resident as soon as possible.
We are committed to exceptional infection control protocols: employees wearing masks, frequent hand hygiene, increased disinfecting of surfaces.
Be assured everyone’s safety is our top priority.
