Tara Jeffrey
Lambton's active COVID-19 caseload has climbed to ten, after two outbreaks were declared Thursday, and two more school-linked cases were reported.
According to Lambton Public Health, a staff member at Sarnia's Twin Lakes Terrace Long Term Care Community has tested positive for the virus, prompting officials to declare an outbreak.
"The outbreak places restrictions on access to the facility and adds protocols to support staff and residents in the facility," the health unit said in a press release issued late Thursday.
This marks the ninth outbreak declared at a Lambton area long-term or retirement home since the pandemic began. The virus had a devastating impact at Sarnia's Landmark Village, linked to six deaths, and Vision Nursing Home, where ten deaths were reported.
The health unit has also declared a workplace outbreak at an unnamed location, linked to three cases.
"All employees and close contacts have been identified and moved to isolation," the health unit said. "There is no further risk to the community at this time."
Workplace outbreaks are declared when two or more employees test positive for COVID-19 within a reasonable timeline to suspect transmission in the workplace.
Workplaces will only be named if public notification will help to identify additional close contact that cannot be determined through contact tracing.
"Other potential individual cases have been identified through ongoing investigations," the health unit added.
The news comes following two more school-linked cases confirmed Thursday; one at Bright's Grove Public School, and the other, at Northern Collegiate.
The health unit says it’s working closely with the school communities and contacting any individuals (students and staff) who may have been potentially impacted. Lambton-Kent District School Board director John Howitt says the Northern case does not impact the school directly, because the individual had not been at the school for more than two weeks.
The area's first school-related case was confirmed Tuesday at Corunna's Colonel Cameron Public School.
“Narrow the scope of activities to absolute essentials to keep the spread to a minimum and allow other activities to function," Lambton Medical Officer of Health Dr. Sudit Ranade said in the release. Transmission is connected to our social interactions and behaviours.”