CALGARY -- Alberta Health Services has confirmed another outbreak of coronavirus at a Calgary seniors care home.
A resident living at Bethany Calgary seniors home in Briar Hill, along with an employee who works there, have both tested positive for COVID-19.
All residents, family members and employees of the impacted units have been notified.
Officials with Bethany Care confirm an employee at Bethany Riverview, in the 2900 block of 26th Avenue S.E., has also tested positive.
In a statement to CTV News, Bethany Calgary says safety is its top priority.
“We continue to go above and beyond the guidelines for the public at this time and to work closely with our public health bodies, Alberta Health Services and the directives as outlined by the chief medical officer of Alberta," it read.
The facility, which is home to 400 residents, says it is now following outbreak management protocols, which include a deep clean of the entire living area and isolating all affected residents and staff members.
Under new guidelines, everyone entering or leaving the building is required to complete a temperature check. Staff must also wear masks and are only allowed to work at this single care facility, as will be the case for all Alberta care homes by the end of the week.
As of Tuesday, two more Albertans have died of COVID-19. That includes another person at the Mackenzie Towne Continuing Care Home, bringing the total number of deaths at that facility to 21.
There have now been 214 confirmed cases and 30 deaths at continuing care facilities in the province, accounting for more than 60 per cent of Alberta’s coronavirus deaths.
Support for care workers
Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro announced Tuesday that the province will provide a $3-million grant to Caregivers Alberta, an organization that offers support programs to those caring for the sick and elderly.
Shandro added that the province has enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to cope with the pandemic.
“This province has enough PPE, including the N95 masks, in our modelling and our estimates in what we are going to need for this pandemic," Shandro said.
“We do have processes in place for folks to let us know what their needs are so we can get that equipment distributed to them as quickly as possible."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is also promising further help for low paid health workers as the federal government continues to work on a model for increasing support.
Industry experts at care homes have cited staffing level and pay level as some of the worst issues plaguing these facilities long before the pandemic.
Canada’s Health Minister, Patty Hajdu, says the crisis is now an opportunity to make long term changes.
“Some of these care facilities are run really well and aren’t universally terrible, but there are other that really struggle, so some of it is around the way we pay people and some of it is the way we care for facilities," she said.
