The Northern Lights Manor has locked back down following a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility.
The Northern Health Region (NHR) confirmed the outbreak to The Reminder this week, saying that the outbreak designation was officially declared last week.
“An outbreak was declared at the Northern Lights Manor PCH on April 26. Outbreaks are normally declared over after 10 days unless there are newly associated COVID cases,” reads a statement issued by the NHR to The Reminder May 2.
No information about the number of COVID-19 cases, the severity of the cases or status of residents has been provided as of press time, nor has the manor been listed officially as an outbreak site by either the province or the Manitoba health ministry.
Residents’ families have been notified of the outbreak and increased restrictions have been put in place for the facility until the outbreak designation is removed.
Under Manitoba policy, an outbreak in a health care or long-term care setting is declared when two or more people test positive for COVID-19 with evidence of possible transmission within the area - occasionally, one case can lead to an outbreak being declared under certain conditions.
No up-to-date health district-by-health district information about COVID-19 infections, severe outcomes or deaths has been provided by the province for several weeks. Updates are provided once a week on Thursday, with information being shared on a health region-wide basis but no further breakdown on outcomes in smaller health districts.
One outbreak of the disease has been reported at the manor during the pandemic - back in late 2020, an outbreak was reported Nov. 23, lasting until early January. The last COVID-19 outbreak at a Flin Flon medical facility or care home took place earlier this year at the Flin Flon Personal Care Home - that outbreak was declared over March 5, according to information received from both the NHR and the provincial health ministry.
Masks must still be worn by all visitors to Manitoba health facilities like hospitals and long-term care homes, with preliminary screening questions still being asked upon arrival.
