The community is pouring out support for a Wallaceburg long-term care home dealing with 60 active COVID-19 cases.
On Tuesday, Fairfield Park administrator Tracey Maxim said there are currently 30 active cases among residents and 30 active cases among staff.
Despite the number of active cases, all but one staff member has tested negative for the virus in the past week, according to Fairfield’s latest weekly surveillance testing effort. The staff member is currently isolating at home.
In the past few weeks the community has been showing their support for the frontline workers and residents by sending in letters and emails of support.
“We want to thank everyone who has sent kind words of encouragement to our home. Our staff have truly been overwhelmed by e-mails, community sponsored staff meals,” Maxim said.
Most recently students from four schools at the St. Clair Catholic District School board virtually got together to make a thank you video and sent messages of hope to residents.
“We have posted all messages in the home for our staff to read and will show this video on the TVs. Knowing that our community stands behind our home contributes in a real way to the work we do and reminds us that we will get through this together,” Maxim said.
Since Jan. 10 the long-term care home has seen 93 positive cases.
On Tuesday, active cases in Chatham-Kent fell by three following 12 new ones and 15 resolved. The active total now sits at 138 cases and the cumulative total rose to 1,314. Eight individuals are hospitalized and the death toll sits at seven.
The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) is not yet cleared of its two outbreaks. The Medicine A/B Unit rose to 22 cases. The COVID Unit no longer has any cases tied to hospital spread, however, CK Public Health has still not declared it over.
Tilbury Manor Nursing Home has the all clear after one staff member contracted the virus in late January.
Lambton-Kent Composite School in Dresden, with two staff cases, is also cleared of outbreak.
