Northeastern Ontario nursing homes see themselves as 'ground zero' for COVID-19

The first nursing home in northeastern Ontario to get a case of COVID-19 is hopeful it can keep the virus from spreading to other residents.

The Spruce Hill Lodge in South Porcupine got confirmation last week that a woman in her 90s had tested positive.

"We were worried about it and now that it is (here), so far, we're keeping our fingers crossed," says board chair Rob Galloway.

"The client that did have it, she has no real bad symptoms yet, that's a good thing."

He saysno one is certain how the virus got into the 50-bed home that was once a hospital, but all staff and residents have been tested.

Spruce Hill started restricting visitors a month ago and has only been allowing health professionals to come in, although Galloway says they too have now been barred.

He says residents are being checked constantly for symptoms. Theyare also now being fed in their rooms and not allowed to roam the facility "and they're not happy about that."

Galloway says to sign paycheques for workers, a hockey stick is being used so he can keep a safe distance from staff still inside the lodge.

"It's been busy and scary," he says.

All retirement homes in the province have beenrestricting visitorsfor weeks, which Finlandia Village CEO David Munch says has been the most difficult part of the pandemic so far.

He says they've been arranging for residents to speak with their families over Facetime or Skype.

Munch says his biggest fear is if a large number of staff are exposed to the virus and need to stay home, making it difficult to look after the residents properly.

"This is ground zero," he says.

"There are some staffing challenges, but so far, so good."

He says Finlandia has had "great success" hiring college, university and even high school students to help out at the nursing home, as well as workers laid off during the pandemic.

Munch says all workers get their temperature taken twice a day and he's hoping that will keep the virus away from the residents.