The latest COVID-19 outbreak at a greenhouse operation in Kent Bridge was probably caused by infected contract workers from Leamington.
That's according to Chatham-Kent Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby.
Colby told Blackburn News he'll never really know the cause of the outbreak at Greenhill Produce for certain, but has deduced the Leamington workers are the probable cause.
"The passage of time will prevent a definitive answer to the original source of the Greenhill outbreak. Nevertheless, the absence of transmission in the greenhouse environment [as opposed to the bunkhouse environments] and the knowledge of the presence of positive migrants from the Leamington area [unknown to us at the outset] has shifted my thinking towards the Leamington workers as the probable source," Colby said.
The number of positive cases at Greenhill has jumped by 44 over the past week to a total of 96 infected workers to date. CK Public Health reported on Wednesday that 52 Greenhill workers have recovered. The large increase happened after Dr. Colby decided to retest the entire 250 person workforce at the farm when some workers starting showing symptoms.
He said all 44 employees are still in quarantine, are doing well, and are not sick. Colby added there's no COVID-19 transmission spreading into the community at large because the outbreak was controlled and contained within the bunkhouses. He's hopeful the outbreak will have run its course in a couple of weeks.
The local health unit has also reported 47 active cases but only three are active outside of the greenhouse outbreak.
"It's a number to be the envy of any health unit in Ontario," said Colby.
Health officials said there are a total of 138 confirmed cases reported in the community to date with 90 victims recovered and one person dying from the virus. There is now one person from Chatham-Kent in the hospital with COVID-19 and Colby said that patient is doing well and is in stable condition. Dr. Colby said there have only been four or five people admitted to the hospital in Chatham with COVID-19 since mid-March. He added the hospital sits half empty and there has been no shortage of oxygen and ventilators like was anticipated earlier in the pandemic.
The health unit is still waiting for 15 test results. A total of 2,425 tests have been done across Chatham-Kent since the pandemic started, much lower than surrounding areas but it's because CK Public Health only tests those showing symptoms. Those tests don't include the 1,700 swabs done at seven local long term care facilities over the past few weeks, which resulted in zero residents and staff infected with the virus.