Health unit updates COVID-19 situation in Kawartha Lakes

DAN CEARNS, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, for The Standard

KAWARTHA LAKES: The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPR) has lifted a suspect outbreak, while they have declared a Fenelon Falls outbreak in the Kawartha Lakes. On Thursday, June 18th, HKPR confirmed they have lifted a suspect outbreak at Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon. “After additional tests were completed and the Health Unit conducted a thorough investigation, it was determined that the situation at Pinecrest Nursing Home does not meet the case definition for an outbreak. As a result, the suspect outbreak declaration has been lifted,” read a press release from HKPR. The suspect outbreak had been declared a week earlier, on Thursday, June 11th. The local health unit explained the suspect outbreak was declared at the facility after “a staff person with atypical COVID-19 symptoms tested positive for the virus.” Twenty-eight people died from a previous COVID-19 outbreak at Pinecrest. But the June 18th news wasn’t all positive, as HKPR detailed Fenelon Court Long Term Care Home’s fight against an outbreak. “An outbreak was declared on June 11th, after one symptomatic resident tested positive for COVID-19. This individual is being isolated and additional testing has confirmed an asymptomatic staff member has tested positive for COVID-19,” read the press release. As of Friday, June 26th, the local health unit has reported 165 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Kawartha Lakes and 32 related deaths.