Manitoba government 'dropped the ball' on COVID-19 safety in personal care homes: family member

Stricter rules for visitors atManitoba personal care homes are coming too late, says one Manitoba woman, asCOVID-19 outbreaksin three homes have led to a number of recent deaths.

On Thursday, two deaths were reported connected with an outbreak at Third Crossing Manor in Gladstone, while six deaths had been linked to anoutbreak atthe personal care home in the western community of Benitoas of Tuesday.

Most recently, the province declared another outbreak at the Arborg Personal Care Home, where Irene Thomas's auntOlive Thorvaldsonis a resident.

As of this week, designated caregivers must befully vaccinated to visit with a care home resident in their room, butThomas isangry people who choose not to be vaccinated were allowed in thehomes at all.

"I went to a restaurantyesterday my daughter and I. We had to show ID [with proof of vaccination]. But aweek ago, if I went to see my aunt, I wouldn't have to show ID? Come on," she said.

She doesn't blame the personal care homebut said the province has "dropped the ball."

"This all could have been avoided had someone said 'If you're not vaccinated, you're not allowed in here, because we're supposed to be protecting our elders.' Well, there's no protecting," she said.

Seven residents in her aunt'sInterlake care homehave tested positive, according to a letter to families signed by clinical team manager Wanda Hicks on Wednesday. No staff have contracted the disease, the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority said.

Visiting is suspended there until the infection prevention and control team is confident the spread is contained, the letter said.

It's not known how COVID-19 got into the care home.

Visitor restrictions

The new requirements for designated caregivers visiting care homes are a response to increasing COVID-19 activity across the province, a Shared Health spokesperson told CBC News last week.

Any designated caregiver who is not fully vaccinated, or refuses to disclose their vaccination status, is still able to visit with a resident, but must make an appointment and meet in a designated visitation room orshelter.

Thomas worries that rule could be too little, too late for her aunt. Although she's fully vaccinated, she could die alone if she gets COVID-19.

Provincial public health officials are working to bolster immunity for seniorsby providing third COVID-19 vaccine doses to all eligible adults in personal care homes.

They've been prioritized for third doses becauseimmunityresponse in older people from previous vaccine dosesmay wane more quickly over time than for younger people.

A provincial spokespersonsaidnearly 100 per cent of personal care homes have administered third shots ofCOVID-19 vaccinesto those who wantone.

"We expect full completion in [the]coming days," a provincial spokesperson said in an email.

95% ofhealth-care staff vaccinated

Manitoba's biggest care home outbreak right now is Third Crossing Manor in Gladstone, west of Winnipeg. There are currently 68 cases associated with the outbreak, including 30 staff, the province's dashboard says.

The care home is located in the Southern Health Region, which has thelowest vaccine uptake among Manitoba's five health regions.

As of Thursday, 68.8 per cent of eligible people in that region were vaccinated with at least one dose, compared to the provincial average of 87.3 per cent.

The province requires all direct-care workers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo regular testing, as part of the public health orders that came into effect on Oct. 18.

Shared Health says more than 95 per cent of all health-care staff in the province are fully immunized.

That includes 3,282 of staff workingin health-carein theSouthern Health region, asof Monday, a provincial spokesperson said.

Another 440 workers in the region require regular testing because they either are not fully vaccinated or will not disclose their status, while 98 staff are on unpaid leave because they will not comply with public health orders.