Barrhaven business blames delay in contact tracing for widespread COVID-19 outbreak
The Barrhaven Martial Arts Centre has issued an open letter to the public regarding a significant COVID-19 outbreak linked to the facility.
At least 45 cases of COVID-19 are connected to the outbreak. The Barrhaven Martial Arts Centre said in its open letter that the first high-risk exposure came on Nov. 22, but they weren't informed until the 26th.
"On Monday, November 22, a child attended our After School Program. The following day, Tuesday, November 23, the child developed cold-like symptoms and stayed home to isolate, and also get tested," the open letter reads. "Come Friday evening, November 26, four full days after the first exposure, we received a call from Ottawa Public Health (OPH) to notify us of a High-Risk contact in the After School Program."
The business says it immediately informed families of the exposure, and almost all of them were affected.
"The following Monday afternoon, November 29, we received more information from OPH indicating several children in the After School Program had developed symptoms and tested positive over the weekend as the virus likely spread on Monday and furthermore Tuesday to Friday," the open letter said.
They were also informed of an exposure linked to an evening kids' Muay Thai class on Nov. 26. Once again, families were contacted. The business chose on Nov. 30 to shut down its children's program temporarily and offer classes over Zoom.
The martial arts centre says the outbreak at their Strandherd Drive location is not linked to a previous high-risk exposure at Gracie Barra Ottawa on City Centre Avenue.
"None of our staff or students were present during the exposure to Gracie Barra Ottawa, November 9 at 5:30 p.m.," the business said in its open letter.
Instead, staff say the four-day delay between the exposure on Nov. 22 and confirmation from OPH on Nov. 26 is responsible for the wide spread of the virus.
"It is extremely unfortunate that one case grew and spread rapidly over the course of a week, under the radar, in our kids program," the open letter said. "With a four-day delay in communication from OPH, we acted as quickly as possible to execute actions recommended by Ottawa Public Health. We cooperated in every way with Ottawa Public Health, and oftentimes contacted families to warn them of the risk before OPH was able to."
In a statement to CTV News Ottawa Wednesday afternoon, Ottawa Public Health said it typically contacts individuals who receive a lab-confirmed positive result within 48 hours after they do the test; however, identification and notification of high-risk contacts "does take time."
"OPH cannot action case and contact management until a lab-confirmed positive result is in our hands. This relies on individuals going to get tested in a timely manner," said OPH.
"Identification and notification of high risk contacts does take time. After an individual develops symptoms, it takes some time to get tested and to receive the test results. It then takes time for OPH to determine who was exposed to the individual that tested positive, and to notify those contacts."
The Barrhaven Martial Arts Centre reopened Monday, following approval from OPH. The facility was also physically inspected Monday.
The business said it issued the open letter to address what it called unfounded gossip and rumours in the community about the outbreak.
"The simple fact is one case turned to many, due to a variety of factors," the open letter stated. "Despite screening, attendance tracking, cohorting, sanitary practices, the single largest factor the OPH attributes to this outbreak is a delay in response and action. It took four days from the first High-Risk Exposure to the first contact from Ottawa Public Health in regards to High-Risk Exposure."
On Tuesday, Ottawa Public Health did not confirm whether the outbreak at the Barrhaven Martial Arts Centre was linked to an outbreak of COVID-19 at Half Moon Bay Public School. At least 17 cases in students are linked to the outbreak at the school, and the school is closed. Principal Chris Toivonen said Tuesday that the school would remain closed through Friday, at which point OPH will assess whether it is safe to reopen.
Ottawa Public Health says there is "ongoing COVID-19 transmission in Barrhaven" across multiple settings, including Half Moon Bay Public School.
"The increase in cases presently seen in this area is predominantly amongst individuals who have only recently become eligible for vaccination," said OPH.
"Given the unimmunized, or partially immunized status of this population, all other COVID-19 control measures remain of utmost importance. OPH advises that screening, masking, hand hygiene and reducing contact with person(s) outside of your household remain important tools to protect against COVID-19 transmission."
With files from CTV News Ottawa's Josh Pringle
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.