The local health unit said Thursday it is closely following two new reports of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases at Hastings Manor in addition to the seven existing cases at the long-term care facility already reported by The Intelligencer this week.

One additional resident has been identified as contracting the novel coronavirus for a total of five residents in the 253-bed long-term care facility in Belleville.

A new positive COVID-19 case of a health worker has also been identified bringing the total number of care workers at Hastings Manor to four from two originally discovered earlier this month leading to an outbreak being declared at the manor April 2.

Staff have been sent home to self-isolate while four residents remain quarantined in the manor and a fifth resident is in hospital.

In his Facebook Live broadcast Thursday, Dr. Piotr Oglaza, medical officer of health for Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, informed the Quinte community he has been notified by Hastings Manor managers at Hastings County the facility now has nine total positive cases.

Oglaza confirmed “there are five residents and four staff who tested positive for COVID-19.”

He reminded the community overall statistics remain at 27 confirmed cases with 252 probable cases as of Thursday.

“This is something that is really critical in Ontario and in our area is to make sure we prevent the outbreaks from happening and if the outbreaks are already declared, measures are put in place to prevent the spread,” Oglaza said.

He noted a new order from the Ontario government to restrict care workers to working in only one long-term care home will help prevent any spread.

The new measure comes into effect Wednesday of next week to stop any cross pollination of the virus between facilities.

“Workers are required now to work in one facility and that is designed to prevent the movement from one facility to another,” he said.

The order is one of many new measures by Premier Doug Ford and Ministry of Long Term Care to step up protection at seniors’ homes.

“There is more action and activity happening to make sure there are adequate resources in long-term care as well as adequate human resources and staffing as well as personal protective equipment,” Oglaza said. “Long-term care is now really the next frontline in the fight against coronavirus. That’s where most effort needs to take place and is taking place right now.”

“We know that they are very vulnerable individuals residing in those facilities and we need to take every effort to protect them.”

Increased screening, moving health care teams from hospitals and more stringent disinfecting of seniors’ homes are under way as the province bolsters the fight against COVID-19 infections sweeping through the province’s senior’s homes, 114 of which reported a 14 per cent infection rate.

Nearly half of COVID-19 deaths, to date, across Canada are reportedly occurring in seniors’ homes.

In Ontario, 29 residents have died at Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon while another nine residents died at the Markhaven Home for Seniors in Markham.

Hastings County Warden Rick Phillips said earlier this week no COVID-19 cases have appeared at Centennial Manor in Bancroft as staff at Hastings Manor ramp up care there.

He extolled care workers for putting manor residents first despite any personal reservations about COVID-19.

“Our staff have been tremendous. You and I can’t even fathom what they must go through when they go through those doors every day and every night,” Phillips said Tuesday. “They’re tested when they go in, when they come out. They’re showing up for work every day because that’s what they do. They’re professionals, it doesn’t matter what position they hold at the home.”

Oglaza, meanwhile, reported there were no new lab-confirmed cases in the health unit’s catchment area with the latest total of cases holding firm since Wednesday at 27.

Probable cases dropped from 261 reported Wednesday to 252 on Thursday.

The Ontario government reported 8,961 COVID-19 cases Thursday and 423 deaths.

Across Canada, 28,884 confirmed cases were logged as of Thursday morning with a reported 1,048 deaths.

There were 2.1 million cases globally and 144,061 deaths as of Thursday.