OTTAWA -- A second staff member at the Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre in Ottawa has tested positive for COVID-19.

In a press release on its website, the health centre said the employee worked in the Gatineau 2 South unit.

This comes after another worker in the Ottawa 1 East unit tested positive earlier this week.

One staffer is a nurse, while the other is a personal support worker. Both are said to be experiencing mild symptoms and are isolating at home. 

"To date, none of the Health Centre’s residents has tested positive for COVID-19," the press release said.

The health centre has stepped up infection control measures since the positive tests were confirmed, including:

  • Confining all residents to their rooms;
  • Priority COVID-19 testing and ongoing screening for all staff and residents;
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is being provided to manage risk and support resident and staff safety;
  • Masking of all residents while in transit outside of their rooms;
  • Cancellation of all resident activities to accommodate 1:1 programming including
  • Skype and FaceTime communications between residents and loved ones;
  • Redeployment of staff to meet resident needs and changes in the work environment;
  • Universal masking for all staff while in the Health Centre

The Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre employs a staff of more than 850 people.