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Cassellholme caregivers may soon be allowed back into the long-term care home to see their loved ones.
An outbreak was declared at Cassellholme Home for the Aged on Feb. 19 after 13 caregivers received positive COVID-19 test results.
All caregivers except one were retested and results were negative.
Chief Executive Officer Jamie Lowery expressed frustration with the health unit, calling the process “clumsy” in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
He told The Nugget that the 13 positive cases were “misleading” and “erroneous.”
Lowery said at that time when the outbreak was declared at least seven of the cases were negative.
“Those individuals went to the hospital (North Bay Regional health Centre) to get retested and ended up with a negative result.”
Lowery’s frustration was also with the health unit not removing the seven people who tested negative off the total case count.
He said the health unit wasn’t supporting those test results, rather they want people to isolate for 14 days.
A few days later the health unit and Cassellholme announced they are working with experts in laboratory medicine at the North Bay Regional health Centre and Public Health Ontario to understand the testing results that precipitated declaring an outbreak at Cassellholme.
Lowery said the hope is that the outbreak can be declared over and caregivers can gain access to the building.
He said a meeting will take place Friday to sort out logistics based on new testing directives for visitors.”
“So hopefully we are out of COVID outbreak Friday and visitors returning shortly after that.”
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