Three party Media Release – COVID-19 Update on Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre Staff

Monday, July 6, 2020 – After six staff from Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre (SLMHC) tested positive for COVID-19 in mid-June, the organization completed widespread testing of staff and physicians in the facility. With surveillance testing complete, no further positives have been detected among staff or physicians. In addition, Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU) and SLMHC completed contract tracing and can confirm that no contacts of the positive cases received positive test results.

u201cAs of yesterday, all cases and contacts are out of isolation. It is great news that none of the positive cases resulted in further infections in the community,u201d says Dr. Ian Gemmill, Acting Medical Officer of Health from NWHU.nSLMHC President and CEO, Heather Lee, applauds the efforts of everyone involved to ensure patient and staff safety remained the top priority.

u201cWe truly appreciate the response of our staff that got tested to ensure they kept SLMHC a safe place for patients and others,u201d says Lee, who notes that staff continue to follow best practices during their shifts, which include strict hand hygiene protocols, wearing face masks and wearing appropriate personal protective equipment. All staff, patients and visitors also continue to be screened entering the facility as part of the ongoing screening process during this pandemic.

Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA) and SLMHC are working together to make sure that all patients and clients of SLMHC are aware that it is safe and that all measures are in place to minimize the risks of COVID-19.

u201cSLMHC has responded very appropriately and promptly to the recent increase of viral activity. This underlines a continuing commitment by SLMHC to provide the safest possible care to our communities,u201d says Dr. John Guilfoyle, Public Health Physician from SLFNHA.

Moving forward, SLMHC, NWHU, and SLFNHA will continue working together to provide a unified local response to the pandemic. They remind the public that the best way to prevent COVID-19 is by practicing personal preventive measures like physical distancing, hand hygiene, and staying home when you are unwell.