/Hyland Crest residents and staff test negative for COVID-19

Hyland Crest residents and staff test negative for COVID-19

By Chad Ingram

Residents and staff of the Hyland Crest long-term care facility in Minden have tested negative for COVID-19.

At press time, Hyland Crest remained under a declared outbreak after two essential caregivers tested positive for the virus on Jan. 31.  

However, Haliburton Highlands Health Services confirmed on Feb. 3 that test results for residents had come back negative.
“We share this news with a sense of caution, because we know that this testing provides us one ‘picture in time’ and that we must remain extremely vigilant about our infection prevention and control measures,” HHHS CEO Carolyn Plummer said in a press release.

HHHS continues to monitor residents, who will remain in isolation for the remainder of the declared outbreak.
“Essential caregivers, who provide important physical and emotional support to long-term care residents, will continue to be required to demonstrate a negative COVID-19 test within the past seven days before accessing our facilities,” the release reads.

On Feb. 6, HHHS confirmed that test results had also come back negative for Hyland Crest staff.
“Obviously this is a tremendous relief for everyone but it does not lessen the need for vigilance with infection prevention and control measures,” Plummer said in a statement. “The staff across our entire organization have been doing an exemplary job to date in this regard and I know that we will all continue to do so.”