PANDEMIC UPDATE: 20 outbreaks underway, including new one at Sumac Lodge

Journal Staff A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at the Sumac Lodge long-term care home in Sarnia, Lambton Public Health said today. All residents of the home are being tested after one staff member was confirmed to have the virus.

Journal Staff

A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at the Sumac Lodge long-term care home in Sarnia, Lambton Public Health said today.

All residents of the home are being tested after one staff member was confirmed to have the virus.

Sumac Lodge is the 10th Sarnia-Lambton senior homes with an active outbreak, the health unit said.

About two dozen cases involve residents and staff members at Twin Lakes Terrace, Afton Park Place, Fairwinds Lodge, Trillium Villa, Village on the St. Clair, and Vision Nursing Home in Sarnia, as well as Lambton Meadowview Villa and Fiddick’s Nursing Home in Petrolia, and North Lambton Lodge in Forest.

Other outbreaks are underway at businesses and one school, Confederation Central.

Lambton Public Health reported 40 new cases today, bringing the total number since the pandemic began last March to 1,224 with 28 deaths.

Sixteen of those deaths have been at senior homes.

A long-term care outbreak is declared when there is one or more lab-confirmed cases of a resident or staff member and possible exposure to others there has occurred, the health unit said.