Worker at Northwood long-term care home in Halifax tests positive for COVID-19
A case of COVID-19 has been linked to Northwood, the long-term care home in Halifax that was the epicentre of the virus during the first wave of the pandemic.
Officials confirmed Sunday a staff member has tested positive for the virus.
"With 2,000 staff working throughout the organization and the number of COVID cases in the community, we are certainly at high risk for having staff exposed to COVID-19," said Northwood CEO Janet Simm.
"We have not let our guard down one bit since our outbreak. We continue to screen, we continue to PPE, we have protocols in place in the event we do have a positive case."
She cannot say if the employee who contracted the virus has been vaccinated.Simm said Northwood is working with public health to conduct contact tracing.
"At this point in time, all staff and residents who may have been exposed, again this is precautionary because we are wearing masks and PPE, all the tests coming back are negative," she said.
As a precautionary measure, Simm said residents located on the impacted floor are not permitted to leave the floor.
"We monitor staff in terms of their entry into the building, in terms of exposure to COVID-19, and of course we monitor the exposure sites. If any staff have symptoms or if they’ve been exposed, there have been protocols so that they don’t come to work in this situation," said Simm.
During the first wave of the pandemic last year, an outbreak of COVID-19 plagued Northwood’s Halifax Campus. A total of 53 residents died from the virus.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
The Indian couple killed in a wrong-way police chase crash on Highway 401 earlier this week has been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.