Montreal private seniors' home hit with COVID-19 outbreak for the 1st time

A private seniors' residence in Montral-Nordthat went unscathed during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic isseeing its first outbreak asinfectionscreep back up insome seniors' homes across Quebec.

Ninety-year-oldSolange Touchette, a resident at Rsidence Les Cascades, told CBC News that residents were told to stay in their units, except for masked and socially distanced trips to the grocery store or pharmacy on the ground floor of the building.

Liana Irimias, the director general of the private seniors' residence (RPA), confirmed the outbreak in an email. She said many RPAscurrently have COVID-19 casessince theQuebec government's lifting of the mask mandatesomething the institution didn't support.

"Even visitors can enter without masks," Irimias lamented. She saidthere hadbeen no COVID-19 cases at the homeuntil now, precisely because of strict sanitary measuresin the province.

Irimias said her home currently has no hospitalizations and the vast majority of residents have received four doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Montral-Nord's regional health authority, theCIUSSSduNord-de-l'le-de-Montral, said that its initial findings show that outbreak protocols are being followed at the home, but it did not say how many active cases there are.

As of June 29, the most recent data available, there are 563 active casesof COVID-19 in the province'sRPAs. That's five per cent of residents affected.In the province's long-term care homes(CHSLD), there are 242 active cases. That's 16 per cent of residents affected.

Urging caution, balance

Benoit Barbeau,a virologist in the department of biological sciences at the Universit du Qubec Montral, says while there may be more people vaccinated, that doesn't mean COVID-19 is any less dangerous for those in at-risk groups, includingpeople living in long-term care homes and seniors' residences.

"These are older people, part of the vulnerable population, and if they get infected with the current outbreak, then the possibility of having more importanthealth issues is increased," he said.

Barbeausaid given the epidemiological situation in Quebec which shows anincrease in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizationsdue to new, highly transmissible Omicron subvariants it's important vulnerable people continue to mask up, wash their hands and socially distance.

"I think that we need to be very much aware that more outbreaks will be present everywhere," Barbeau said. "We need to be extremely cautious in those homes to limit the extent of those outbreaks."

Raoul Charbonneau, president of a group dedicated to defending the rights of people living in RPAs, says wearing a mask, washing hands and social distancing are appropriate measures to recommend. But"locking residents up [like they're]in jail" is unacceptable.

"Severe confinement makes more problems than the COVID itself,"said Charbonneau, with the Association des Comits de Rsidents Officielle du Qubec.

"We need a balance between sanitary measures and the mental health of residents."