Salem Home C.E.O. Sherry Janzen is clarifying today's announcement in Manitoba Public Health's daily COVID-19 update the personal care home in Winkler has been moved to "Critical" on the province's Pandemic Response System, and listed as having an "outbreak" on the Manitoba COVID-19 information page for Southern Health.

It all comes down to the definition Manitoba Health uses to define an "outbreak" at a personal care home.

"This past week we found out an employee had tested positive for the virus," explained Janzen to PembinaValleyOnline Saturday afternoon. "This person was not in the building at all during the period of transmission, so there was very low risk to residents, and this employee had, even before she was tested, worn her PPE the appropriate way the entire time she had been working."

Janzen stressed, as soon as they found out about the positive test result earlier this week, they let families and staff know.

"We do meet the definition of an outbreak according to Manitoba Health outbreak rules, which is, if one staff or one person in the organization tests positive for the COVID virus, so yes, we do meet that definition, and that is why we are now in the outbreak, (and) we have been designated as critical.

If the situation changes, they will be updating families and staff accordingly. Janzen noted they will continue to be as transparent as they can, but also protect confidentiality. 

"Families and staff will be informed if there are further developments, but at this point we do not believe there will be, but you know, anything is possible," said Janzen. 

And what is the process for Salem Home to be moved down from "Critical" on the Pandemic Response System, and the "outbreak" declared over?

"How I understand it is we need to be, for the next two weeks, we need to have no further cases, and then we have to wait another two weeks, and then we will be declared outbreak free," explained Janzen. "So basically a month without more cases."

For further information about protocols at Manitoba's personal care homes related to COVID-19, click here.

For COVID-19 updates from Salem Home's website, click here.