Shannex To Decommission Cohorting Unit At Tucker Hall

Shannex plans to decommission its cohorting area this week at Parkland Saint John, the site of an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, despite an employee recently testing positive for the virus.

The cohorting area at Tucker Hall has been used to isolate and care for residents who have tested positive for the virus.

“For everyone at Tucker Hall, this will be another step toward a return to normal life in their community,” Shannex said in a statement late Thursday.

In the statement, Shannex said all residents in the cohorting area are expected to be considered recovered this week.

A day earlier, Shannex said all but one resident who was being cared for in the unit had been discharged.

The decision on discharging residents is made in consultation with Public Health, the medical officer of health, and Shannex’s Infection Control Specialist.

“On day 14, following a positive diagnosis or date of symptom onset, a detailed assessment of the resident is done,” said the statement.

“The resident then remains on isolation precautions in their suite for an additional seven days to provide them time to physically recover and remain separate from the rest of the residents on Simms Court. When the resident meets these criteria, they will be considered recovered and will be discharged from the cohorting area.”

There have been 20 confirmed cases at Parkland Saint John, including 11 residents, eight employees and one non-Shannex employee. The most recent case was reported Wednesday and involved an employee working in the cohorting area.

Once the cohorting area is decommissioned, all employees who had been working there will begin a 14-day isolation period, said Shannex.

All rooms used in the cohorting area and all common areas of Simms Court will also be professionally deep cleaned.

Public Health will only lift the outbreak status of Tucker Hall once 28 days have passed since the last identified case.