COVID-19 variant detected at Ontario long-term care home very concerning, public health officials say - CBC.ca

At least 122 of 130 residents at Roberta Place Long-Term Care Home have been infected, the home said in a statement to CBC Toronto on Thursday.

On Thursday, local public health officials said there is cause for concern for the yet-to-be identified variant of COVID-19 at the home.

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit said the unusually rapid spread of the virus at Roberta Place earlier this month prompted officials to start testing for a variant strain.

Fifty-five people at the nursing home became ill within 48 hours of the first COVID-19 case being identified, said Dr.

The variant was identified in six cases and further results are expected in the coming days, the unit said.

There's a "very high probability" that the variant detected at the home is one of three known COVID-19 variants — strains from the U.K., South Africa and Brazil, said Lee.

Public health officials will be carrying out more testing at the home and will be trying to immunize as many residents and staff at the facility as possible, he said.

The health unit is trying to reach all close contacts of those infected as quickly as possible so they can self-isolate if needed, said Lee.

Barbara Yaffe, Ontario's associate chief medical of health, said public health officials will also be stepping up infection prevention and control at the home.

The Ministry of Long-Term Care said Thursday that it was working with its health partners to ensure staffing levels at the home were sufficient.

"This development underscores the need for everyone to stay home to stop the spread of COVID-19 and help protect our long-term care homes, especially as we find more evidence of new variants in our communities," said spokeswoman Krystle Caputo?