Outbreaks at Calgary Zone seniors living facilities double over four-day reporting period
Much like the first wave of the pandemic, it appears seniors in the Calgary area face an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 as more outbreaks are being identified in congregate living settings.
“I think it was inevitable. You know, the more cases there are in the community, the more people in the high-risk groups are at risk of infection. And people living in these facilities are by far the highest risk," said Andre Picard, a Globe and Mail health reporter and author of Neglected No More, which examines seniors care in Canada in the wake of COVID-19.
“They are vaccinated, but the vaccine is not 100 per cent effective. It's less effective with people with rundown immune systems, which older people tend to be. So they are once again sitting ducks.”
According to the province, there are currently 135 declared COVID-19 outbreaks in Alberta, up from 101 outbreaks announced Friday. Outbreaks at long-term care centres and supportive living facilities in the Calgary Zone have gone up from six to 12 during that time.
The majority of the new outbreaks in seniors living facilities in the Calgary Zone are in Calgary but there is one in Strathmore and one in Carstairs.
During the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, the province imposed severe lockdowns on seniors facilities, but gradually lifted them.
In July 2021 almost all restrictions on visitation at continuing care facilities were lifted. Picard agrees locking families out of care facilities is a bad move.
“I think that should be a last resort, we know that it has a lot of consequences. People literally died of loneliness," he said.
"We know that people are very dependent on their families to do stuff, like feed them and bathe them. These homes are chronically understaffed, they can't operate without the families. So we have to find a way of ensuring that the families can get in. They should be vaccinated, they should be masked, but we can't shut them out. Again, I think that was a disastrous policy.”
Outbreaks have been declared several facilities, including:
Long term care facilities
- AgeCare Midnapore, Calgary
- AgeCare Sagewood, Strathmore
- AgeCare Seton, Calgary
- Bethany, Calgary
- Carewest Colonel Belcher, Calgary
- Intercare Brentwood Care Centre, Calgary
Supportive living facilities
- Boardwalk Retirement Community, Calgary
- Chinook Winds Lodge, Carstairs - two cases total (two active)
- Evanston Summit - Covenant Living, Calgary
- Revera Scenic Acres, Calgary
- The Journey Club, Calgary
- Trinity Lodge Retirement Residence, Calgary
CTV News attempted to reach all the Calgary seniors facilities experiencing outbreaks. Only Carewest responded to questions.
In an email, Carewest spokesperson Samara Sinclair confirmed that one staff member and one resident at the Colonel Belcher facility have contracted COVID-19.
She added that all other residents on the affected unit were tested and close contacts were notified.
Staff must wear eye protection and masks at all times. Any resident showing symptoms will be required to isolate.
The facility is also offer in on location rapid testing.
The province defines an outbreak as two or more positive cases.
Third doses of vaccine have been available to an estimated 118,000 eligible seniors and immunocompromised individuals in Alberta since Sept. 1 after the province stated there is evidence that immunity from vaccines can wane over time.
The province says third shots should be administered within five months of the second dose, as some pharmacies are seeing increasing demand for vaccine appointments.
Picard maintains that preventing community spread of COVID=19 is even more important than triple dosing seniors in protecting the elderly in care facilities.
” It's a direct cause and effect, the more virus circulates in the community, the more virus gets into facilities where the highest risk people are.”
The elderly were especially vulnerable when the pandemic first began and the demographic experienced some of the most severe outcomes of the virus. The current doubling in outbreaks coincides with the rampant spread of the highly virulent Delta variant in the current fourth wave.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.