Newmarket is outbreak free, with Mackenzie Place outbreak resolved

With the outbreak at Mackenzie Place Long-term Care ended today, Newmarket has no active outbreaks at long-term care or group homes — which have caused the majority of its 201 cases.

Until today, Mackenzie Place had the highest number of COVID-19 cases among the region's 57 outbreaks, with 80 of 90 residents — 89 per cent — and 24 health-care workers exposed since the outbreak was declared April 8. However, no additional cases had been reported in recent weeks.

Eighteen Newmarket residents have died as a result of COVID-19 acquired in an outbreak, 15 of them residents of Mackenzie Place.

Ninety-five residents and 49 health-care workers account for the 144 total outbreak-acquired cases among Newmarket residents, according to York Region spokesperson Patrick Casey.

Other Newmarket outbreaks declared closed are Southlake Regional Health Centre, Southlake Residential Care Village, Eagle Terrace Long-term Care Home, and the CBI Health Group (Canadian Back Institute) homes Dixon and Haines. 

Closing an outbreak doesn’t mean there are no active COVID-19 cases at the facility.

For instance, a patient passed away at Southlake Regional Health Centre May 16 with COVID-19 acquired there, after the 16-day outbreak declared with four patients and four health-care workers was closed May 15.

According to Public Health Ontario, an outbreak is declared over by the local medical officer of health when: there are no new cases in residents or staff after 14 days from the latest date of isolation of the last resident case; or date of illness onset of the last resident case; or date of last shift at work for the last staff case.

As of today, 46 of York Region's 57 outbreaks are closed, however, several long-term care homes continue to struggle to control outbreaks, including River Glen Haven Nursing Home in Georgina, Woodbridge Vista Care Community in Vaughan and Villa Colombo Vaughan Di Poce Centre in Kleinburg.

Ten additional cases are being reported today for River Glen Nursing Home in Sutton, with 84 residents — which is 73 per cent of the residents at the 115-bed facility — and 30 health-care workers now infected, the day following the announcement by the Ministry of Long-Term Care that Southlake Regional Health Centre will temporarily manage the outbreak.

The outbreak death toll at River Glen is also now the highest among long-term care homes in the region, at 23, with public health reporting three additional COVID-19 related fatalities there today, Casey said.

A 93-year-old woman, who was asymptomatic, passed away Sunday, May 24 after a positive test May 14; a 77-year-old woman, who was asymptomatic, passed away Sunday, May 24 after a positive test May 22; and an 89-year-old woman, who was asymptomatic, passed away Sunday, May 24 after a positive test May 14.

In total, York Region is reporting six more fatalities today due to COVID-19, acquired at long-term care homes.

A 94-year-old Vaughan man passed away Monday, May 25 at Kristus Darzs Latvian Home, where 10 residents have died since the outbreak was declared April 9.

A 91-year-old Vaughan woman, who was asymptomatic, passed away Monday, May 25 at Woodbridge Vista Care Community, where 79 residents and 23 health-care workers at the 216-bed facility have tested positive since the outbreak was declared May 7.

A 90-year-old Vaughan man, who was asymptomatic, passed away Sunday, May 24 after a positive test May 26 at Woodbridge Vista Care Community.

Of York Region's total of 188 COVID-19 related fatalities, 146 are the result of exposure to the virus at a long-term care, retirement or group home.

The number of hospitalized patients in York Region is 67, with 16 cases critically ill in ICU. In Newmarket, five residents are hospitalized, none in ICU.

As of 4:30 p.m. May 26, Southlake Regional Health Centre is reporting three COVID-19 patients in ICU, and 16 COVID-19 positive patients being cared for in an inpatient unit. The number of inpatients under investigation for COVID-19 is 33. Deaths total 20.