WINNIPEG -- The Prairie Mountain Health Region has confirmed an employee at a personal care home in the region has tested positive for COVID-19 and an outbreak has been declared.
A statement from CEO Penny Gilson, sent to CTV News Thursday morning, confirmed a health care worker at the Rideau Park Personal Care Home in Brandon, Man. has tested positive for COVID-19. Gilson said the individual was a previously identified case in the region.
"The individual wore protective personal equipment and is self-isolating," Gilson wrote. "Close contacts have been identified and the case investigation is continuing."
Gilson said the information about the infection has been shared with families, staff and close contacts.
"While no other cases have been identified as linked to this case and the risk is assessed to be low, out of an abundance of caution an outbreak has been declared," Gilson said. "This means the site is putting additional measures in place to further reduce the risk to residents and staff, and restricts visitation at the facility."
On Thursday, Rideau Park Personal Care Home was placed under a critical level under the province's Pandemic Response Plan, which limits visitors to the facility.
Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief provincial public health officer, said there are measures in place to protect staff and care home residents.
"The screening process is essentially the online screening tool, so every staff member is required to do that every day, and we have the universal use of PPE while at those places," he said.
Roussin adds staff members at personal care homes are currently limited to working at one personal care home while the pandemic is ongoing.
The outbreak is the second outbreak at a personal care home in Manitoba, following Bethesda Place in Steinbach. Eight cases have been linked to the outbreak at Bethesda Place, along with two deaths.
