“This is a very fragile situation,” said Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, as he confirmed during his Tuesday (May 12) media teleconference, that a ninth resident at the long-term care facility has died from complications due to COVID-19.

The chief medical officer for the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) has expressed concern several times during his media briefings about the situation at the Pinecrest Nursing Home. It has the largest number of cases of COVID-19 at a long-term care facility within the EOHU operation area, with 32 residents confirmed positive for the disease alojh with seven staff members, all of whom are now in self-isolation.

“We are really focusing on that home,” said Dr. Roumeliotis, reaffirming that doctors and nurses from Hawkesbury & District General Hospital are on-site to assist the remaining nursing home staff to manage infection control and work with the residents.

During past media sessions, Dr. Roumeliotis noted that situation at Pinecrest is complicated by the fact that many of the residents there are already in frail health, and some also suffer from various types of dementia and require special care.