3 new outbreaks from nursing homes
Photo: Center for Assisted Living
Hawthorne Park Assisted / Independent Living
COVID-19 outbreaks were reported at three other Kelowna nursing homes on Thursday.
On the same day, Dr. Bonnie Henry announces new vaccination regulations for British Columbia nursing home workers effective October 12th. Interior Health announced the new outbreaks at the David Lloyd Jones Nursing Home, Village at Mill Creek, and Hawthorn Park Assisted / Independent Living.
The new outbreaks are occurring in addition to the outbreak at Kelowna’s Cottonwoods Care Center and West Kelowna’s Brookhaven Care Center, while Cranbooks Kootenay Street Village and Nelson Jubilee Manor also have active outbreaks. A resident of Nelson Jubilee Manor who contracted COVID-19 has recently died.
Three other nursing homes in the province have also had active outbreaks.
The number of positive cases in the Interior Health nursing homes are as follows:
- Kelowna’s Long Term Care David Lloyd Jones – two residents and one employee
- Assisted / Independent Living in Kelowna’s Hawthorn Park – one resident and three employees
- Kelowna’s Village at Mill Creek Long Term Care – One Resident and One Staff
- Long-term care at the Cottonwoods Care Center in Kelowna – eight residents and four employees
- Brookhaven Care Center in West Kelowna – five residents and 18 employees
- Nelson Jubilee Manor – one resident and three employees; a death
- Cranbrooks Kootenay Street Village – one resident and two employees
During her announcement on Thursday, Dr. Henry states that she does not know the percentage of vaccinated nursing home workers in the province, but said that it is the “vast majority” of them. Their new order requires nursing home staff to report their vaccination status to their employer, and COVID-19 vaccination will be an employment requirement for nursing home staff from October 12th.
Nursing home residents and employees were given priority access to the COVID-19 vaccine in December 2020 and January 2021. And while the number of deaths in nursing homes has dropped dramatically after the vaccine was introduced in these facilities, some elderly people are still sick despite being vaccinated before the virus.
