FREE DIGITAL ACCESS: The Hamilton Spectator has made the decision to provide free digital access to essential local coronavirus articles. If you appreciate good journalism, please subscribe to thespec.com for unlimited access to all articles.

Fifteen residents of Anson Place Care Centre have now died of COVID-19 as management and staff at the Hagersville long-term care home continue to grapple with a coronavirus outbreak.

Anson Place executive director Lisa Roth said 36 residents in long-term care and 19 in the retirement residence have tested positive, as well as 30 staff members who are in quarantine and no longer working at the facility.

The 55 residents who have contracted COVID-19 represent more than half of the 101 people who called Anson Place home before the pandemic.

Roth said the number of positive cases could continue to rise now that the health unit has tested all residents and staff.

“This will allow us to fully understand the current outbreak to better manage it appropriately,” Roth said. “That being said, we may also see a jump in the number of positive cases in the next few days due to this increase in testing.”

Residents are confined to their rooms and all staff who interact with residents do so while wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE). Those employees are in self-isolation when not at work or travelling between their homes and Anson Place.

“To date, we have not had issues regarding the supply of PPE within our home,” Roth said.

“With the safety of residents and front-line staff a top priority, we have also supplemented our workforce by hiring additional direct care and cleaning staff to provide the additional supports we need during this outbreak.”

The outbreak at Anson Place accounts for all 15 deaths in Haldimand-Norfolk that the health unit has linked to COVID-19.

Sixteen residents in the two counties have recovered from the disease.

Positive and negative cases continue to rise as test results come back in from the lab. On Monday, the health unit reported 144 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in the area, while 498 tests came back negative.

That’s up from 131 positives and 486 negatives on Sunday.

Hagersville hospital staff test positive

West Haldimand General Hospital has closed its doors to visitors after six staff members tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement, the Hagersville hospital said that the “index case,” or the first identified case in the cluster, is likely related to a community member infecting a staff member. The other five cases were transmitted among hospital staff.

The hospital said there is no indication that staff members have passed the virus to patients or vice versa.

“Evidence suggests this is a community-related transmission that was identified by the steps we are taking to screen staff for active symptoms,” said interim hospital CEO Tom Thomson.

“Our hospital remains safe. We are all wishing our colleagues a speedy recovery. We are grateful for the commitment of our front-line health-care workers through this pandemic.”

All hospital staff are screened daily for COVID-19 symptoms before they can enter the building and sent home if they’re not feeling well.

“The safety of our patients and staff is paramount,” Thomson said. “The hospital has rolled out strategies to limit visitors and the potential spread of infection.”

Two patients at West Haldimand General have tested positive for COVID-19. A former resident of Anson Place died at the hospital on March 26, while the other patient is currently under care in isolation.

The hospital has been screening patients for COVID-19 symptoms since March 16. Both patients with the disease were admitted prior to their being any confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Haldimand-Norfolk.