The last of 66 COVID-19 institutional outbreaks in York Region has ended, with the closure of the outbreak at the troubled Woodbridge Vista Care Community in Vaughan that saw 30 residents die.
The virulent outbreak that infected 106 residents and 44 staff drew provincial attention when the Ministry of Long-Term Care on June 4 appointed William Osler Health System as interim manager of the 224-bed Sienna Living Home.
Days later, members of the Canadian military were also deployed to assist in the struggle to contain the COVID-19 outbreak that ultimately lasted 69 days until its official closure July 16 at 5 p.m.
According to York Region spokesperson Patrick Casey, York Region Public Health declares an outbreak over when there are no new cases in residents or staff after 14 days — the maximum incubation period — from the last date of isolation of the last resident case; or illness onset of the last resident case; or last shift at work for the last staff case.
In total, since the first institutional outbreaks were declared last March, 1,193 York Region residents, health-care workers (not all of whom are York Region residents) and staff were infected with COVID-19 at long-term care and group homes, hospitals and community care settings. COVID-19 related fatalities numbered 194 patients and residents and one health-care worker.
Institutional outbreaks are the cause of 31 per cent of the region's 3,189 confirmed COVID-19 cases to date.
In total, seven institutional outbreaks were declared in Newmarket long-term care and community care homes, and at Southlake Regional Health Centre, accounting for 54 per cent of its 244 cases and 18 of its 22 deaths to date.
At Mackenzie Place Long-term Care in Newmarket, 80 residents and 24 staff were infected, and 15 residents died, in the 47-day outbreak that was ended May 25, the final Newmarket institutional outbreak.
Woodbridge Vista Care Community was the second long-term care home in York Region to come under temporary management by a hospital, with Southlake Regional Health Centre appointed to temporarily step in at River Glen Haven in Sutton on May 25.
Thirty-six residents died — the highest number in the 66 institutional outbreaks — and 90 residents and 37 health-care workers were infected, in the 66-day River Glen Haven outbreak that closed July 2.
