A staff member at Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare has tested positive for COVID-19.
MAHC confirmed Thursday that it has been notified of a case in a staff member, who MAHC says contracted the virus through close contact and not while in the workplace.
The individual has been quarantining at home and is in self-isolation and MAHX says it is working with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.
In his COVID-19 update, Medical Officer of Health with the health unit Dr. Charles Gardner says because the person didn’t contract it through the hospital – it’s likely they received it through community transmission.
“To my knowledge, there was no exposure in the work environment. The individual in question acquired it through community transmission,” Gardner said. “Therefore, this is a matter of individual transmission which happened to involve a person who works at a health care facility.”
MAHC says that their staff consists of skilled and experienced health care workers that wear appropriate personal protective equipment for all patient interactions which mitigate the risk of transmission to patients.
No patients have been identified at risk of exposure, and there are currently no COVID-positive inpatients at MAHC.
Hospital operations continue as normal and the hospital is not in an outbreak.
MAHC notes that it recognizes that team members are equally vulnerable to the potential spread of COVID-19 in the community.
As cases climb locally, it remains important to follow public health advice to reduce the risks of contracting or transmitting the COVID-19 virus.
This includes wearing face coverings, practicing good hand hygiene and physical distancing, and protecting yourselves through limited social contact with others.
Numerous continued safety precautions to prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19 can be found here.