Calgary nursing home restricts visits after staff get COVID-19 variant

Article content

An outbreak of a COVID-19 variant at Calgary’s Carewest Dr. Vernon Fanning Centre is inhibiting visitations for some loved ones, even after residents at the facility were fully immunized.

Two staff members at the northeast Calgary supportive-living facility have tested positive for the B.1.1.7 variant of the virus, which originated in the United Kingdom. The cases are not linked and are thought to be acquired in the community.

The situation is frustrating for Waldy Hugel, whose wife, Faye, has multiple sclerosis and resides at the facility.

He said Carewest staff told him the positive cases are in staff who declined immunization during the first phase of Alberta’s vaccine rollout.

“How is this allowed to happen, where someone’s choice to not get vaccinated has precedence over my wife’s freedoms and her ability to function, and for me to visit her?” said Hugel, who has been married for 47 years.

Article content

“I find it grossly unfair, and something that has to be dealt with.”

Alberta Health Services, which owns Carewest, said they could not confirm whether the staff who tested positive at the Dr. Vernon Fanning Centre had declined the vaccine.

They said all health-care workers are “strongly encouraged” to get immunized against COVID-19 when they are eligible, but vaccinations are ultimately voluntary.

“There is no mandatory immunization program in Alberta or Canada,” AHS said in a statement.

“At this time, a worker’s COVID-19 immunization status will not affect any workplace considerations. Vaccinated workers will still have the same PPE requirements, exposure criteria, isolation and quarantine requirements, and testing requirements as an unvaccinated worker.”

The first case in the new Carewest outbreak was found March 10 and forced visitation restrictions, with only designated support visitors allowed in the facility.

On one unit, the outbreak is expected to last through March 30. Rapid testing is being conducted for all staff and residents on the impacted unit.

When the second case was found, Hugel had a scheduled visit with his wife cancelled “as a precaution.” He has since been able to visit with her, albeit in full PPE, but can’t bring her home for the day as he often does.

After a previous outbreak at the facility barred visits over Christmas, Hugel said he had hoped immunizations would present a path forward. The resurgence of cases coupled with workers who haven’t gotten the jab have soured those expectations.

Article content

“This should not be happening, not at this time after people have been fully vaccinated,” he said.

“When I first talked to the facility and found out they weren’t fully immunized, I visited my wife, and I asked two workers who were working her area if either one of them had been immunized, and neither one of them had.”

Alberta Health said Friday that the “overwhelming majority” of eligible health-care workers, including those in continuing care, are being immunized when they become eligible, but did not provide information about exactly how many workers had declined their jab.

The ministry added they are offering education to health-care workers about the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths at continuing-care homes have decreased significantly in the wake of vaccination efforts at the sites.

Only six continuing-care sites have active outbreaks in the AHS Calgary zone, compared to 55 at the start of the new year. And no deaths at the facilities have been logged since March 14.

jherring@postmedia.com

Twitter: @jasonfherring