Peterborough Public Health has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Brock Mission, with the first positive case ever detected in the city’s emergency shelter system.
When the health unit confirmed the positive test, the infected person was already self-isolating away from the shelter’s congregate setting, which is temporarily located in an auditorium at 114 Murray Street while the new Brock Mission is being built.
According to a media release issued by the health unit on Wednesday (March 17), it is unknown whether the person is infected with a COVID-19 variant of concern, as the positive sample did not have sufficient virus to be screened for a variant strain.
High-risk contacts of the infected person will be isolated and tested, the health unit states, with Peterborough Paramedics beginning surveillance testing on Wednesday.
Shelter staff have begun implementing additional public health measures, including enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of common areas and high-touch surfaces.
According to Ontario Ministry of Health guidelines, a single case in congregate living setting constitutes an outbreak.
