Outbreaks of COVID-19 declared in Georgina, Vaughan care facilities

Currently 19 open institutional COVID-19 outbreaks in York Region

Yorkregion.com
April 13, 2022
Heidi Riedner

York Region is reporting three new outbreaks of COVID-19 in institutional care settings as of this week.

Kerry’s Place Autism Services -- Georgina, community living and Maple Health Centre LTC in Vaughan are both reporting COVID-19 cases, while an outbreak has been reopened at Chartwell Valley Vista Retirement Residence in Vaughan.

Currently, York Region has 19 open institutional outbreaks, according to the latest figures from public health.

Remaining masking requirements, including at long-term care facilities, are scheduled to be lifted on April 27 under the province’s plan released in March.

However, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health said the government is considering extending the deadline as COVID-19 figures trend upward.

"We think this wave is not going to be settling until the middle or end of May and as a result, we’re looking at extension for all of those high-risk facilities," Dr. Kieran Moore said April 11 at his first news briefing since early March.

"Anyone in those congregate settings, shelters, retirement homes, long-term care homes ... and transit, absolutely considering maintaining it. Our teams drafting it will present that to government and the government will make the final decision, but to me, that makes tremendous sense to maintain it.”

In his April 11 public address, Moore offered his "strong recommendation to continue wearing a well-fitted, three-layer mask or use of a medical mask in all public indoor settings".

York Region’s medical officer of health made a similar recommendation in his video update April 11.

"One of the things we can all do to protect ourselves, the vulnerable and the rest of the community, including the health system, is to continue to wear a mask," Dr. Barry Pakes said.

As of Monday, the region reported 30 COVID-19 hospitalizations with four new admissions. Of the total 103,829 confirmed PCR positive COVID-19 cases, 1,395 cases were reported by public health in the last seven days.

Starting this week, reporting through the interactive dashboard at york.ca/covid19data and through York Region’s social channels on Facebook and Twitter will be reduced from five days a week to two days a week on Mondays and Thursdays.