COVID-19 has entered into a Kenora long-term care home and caused an outbreak within the facility.
Wiigwas Elder and Senior Care home confirmed the COVID-19 outbreak on December 30, 2021, with the consultation of the Northwestern Health Unit.
The care home said residents and their families were notified immediately after the outbreak was declared.
“As we deal with the impacts of this outbreak, we do so focusing on the health and safety of our residents, staff and each other as our #1 priority. Our primary focus will be providing continued care for our residents and follow all directions by the Northwestern Health Unit and the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. We have initiated daily briefings to discuss developments and respond accordingly” said Tania Cameron, Chief Executive Officer of Wiigwas.
On December 30, 2021, the province announced further restrictions for long-term care homes to battle increasing COVID-19 cases numbers and the Omircon variant.
The new restrictions include:
- Entry into the long-term care homes by general visitors has been paused, including for outdoor visits. General visitors will continue to be permitted to enter the home to visit residents receiving end of life care.
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Day absences for all residents for social purposes are paused. All essential, medical or compassionate absences will continue to be permitted.
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Updated testing requirements for residents who go on essential, medical or compassionate day absences.
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Essential Visitor Vaccination requirements - While proof of vaccination will also be required of caregivers, recognizing their essential role, caregivers will be given a transition period to become fully vaccinated and may continue to enter the home but will be restricted to the resident’s room.
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No caregiver can enter a home if they have not provided proof of having received at least a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and as of February 21, 2022, they must have received all required doses to be able to continue accessing the home.
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Any caregiver who is designated after December 15th is required to be fully vaccinated to enter the home.
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All persons must wear personal protective equipment while present in the building, and physical distancing is strongly encouraged.
“We will provide general information updates through social media, the Kenora Chiefs Advisory website, and if possible, we will host a virtual meeting to provide updates to family members. Our team members are prioritizing their time and energy in providing care to residents, so their time to field calls are limited until we can get additional administrative supports in-house. Your patience and understanding is requested at this time” said Cameron.
Wiigwas recently purchased Birchwood Terrace from Southbridge and became the newest not-for-profit long-term care facility in Ontario. The new elders and senior care facility is a new non-profit organization that was created by the Kenora Chiefs Advisory.