ENFIELD, N.S. -- A third staff member at the Magnolia Continuing Care Community in Enfield, N.S., has tested positive for COVID-19.
In addition to the three staff members, two of the 82 residents at the long-term care facility tested positive for the virus earlier this week.
“I take the numbers as encouraging at this point," said Tracey Tulloch, the communications co-ordinator for Rosecrest Communities, which runs the facility. "We had two positive residents yesterday and we still are holding at two positive residents today. We have 39 negative tests that have come back. The remaining residents’ tests, we’re waiting on.”
Tulloch says the two seniors who have tested positive are in good shape and doing fine.
“As much as we like being trailblazers in long-term care, this is not an area where we want to be doing the firsts in, but we’re learning those best practices as we go and we’re really proud of our staff who have been doing an amazing job and really long days so we appreciate the effort they’re putting in to take care of the most vulnerable in our society,” she said.
Nova Scotia’s Department of Health and Wellness is assisting the facility meet its nursing and CCA-level needs and Tulloch says management is on site to help.
The VON has been brought in to help with staffing for the time being.
“Essentially, we’re replacing the staff that are not able to work due to isolation, because many who have had a negative test are still having to isolate and can’t come back to work yet," Tulloch said. "So, because of that, once those tests come back, we’re still having to be isolated so we’re still in a staff shortfall.”
Two other long-term care facilities in the province have been impacted by COVID-19.
A staff member at the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home in Antigonish, N.S. previously tested positive for the virus, along with an employee at Lewis Hall, a private retirement community in Dartmouth, N.S.
