More COVID-19 cases expected as broader testing underway, Sudbury's top doc says

Sudbury's medical officer of health says she expects more COVID-19 cases to be confirmed in the area as testing at long-term care facilities continues.

Recently, the province ordered all staff and residents in long-term care facilities to be tested for COVID-19. That testing is currently underway across Ontario. As a result, outbreaks have been declared at a number of facilities. An outbreak is declared when a staff member or resident at a long-term care facility tests positive.

"What we're finding is we're having cases that do not have symptoms," Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, the medical officer of health with Public Health Sudbury and Districts said.

"These are people who are being picked up because of the province-wide surveillance."

Due to the increase in testing, Sutcliffe says she anticipates more positive cases.

"Even if somebody is asymptomatic, so has no symptoms and is picked up through this surveillance testing, we treat them exactly as we would as if someone did have symptoms and put all the control measures in place," she said.

Sutcliffe says the testing of residents and staff in long-term care homes will help answer questions about COVID-19.

"I think it's very important so we get a better picture of what is circulating and also that we can evaluate our control measures and understand what needs to be done differently," she said.

Work is underway to complete that testing in Sudbury. She says testing is underway at the last seven homes in Sudbury where tested hadn't started yet. She says the province wants all the testing to be done in long-term care homes by the middle of May.

"This is not the time for us to let our guard down," she said.

"I think that it's really important that we continue with the measures because we don't know where we're at in the north and certainly in this area as it relates to the circulation of this virus."