COVID-19 Outbreak declared at Cassellholme North Bay

Ontario Public Health Lab’s microbiologist confirms first COVID-19 positive test at Cassellholme to be a true positive. (File)

Sudbury — The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit has declared an outbreak of COVID-19 at Cassellholme Long-Term Care Home in North Bay.

13 people have tested positive for the virus in relation to this outbreak, however health officials say none of the individuals are residents of the long-term care home.

One individual has received a preliminary positive test result for a Variant of Concern. The positive cases were discovered following routine surveillance testing of staff and essential visitors at the facility.

"Our shared priority is to keep residents and staff safe and to reduce the spread of COVID-19 within the facility. I cannot stress this enough; everyone needs to follow public health measures and must stay home. It is our best defense in our fight against the current COVID-19 variants of concern in our district," Said Dr. Jim Chirico, Medical Officer of Health.

The Health Unit and Cassellholme are working closely together to monitor the situation.

There are currently 32 active COVID-19 cases in the North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit district. So far, 22 of those have tested positive for the Variant of Concern, according to Public Health Friday evening.

This is a developing story...