WRHA PCH COVID-19 Status Update
April 21, 2021
The WRHA’s long-term care program funds and oversees the operations of 39 long-term care facilities, including 38 personal care homes (PCHs) and the St. Amant health care facility, in the Winnipeg health region.
The WRHA has implemented and is managing a comprehensive system-wide approach to protect and care for residents and staff at Winnipeg PCH facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks. This involves careful, fluid coordination with WRHA clinical management, PCH management and staff, regional programs, and partners such as the Canadian Red Cross.
*Please note new updates will be published to this page weekly.
Current status:
As of 9 am, April 21, there was an active COVID-19 outbreak at one of Winnipeg’s 39 long-term care facilities.
Middlechurch Home of Winnipeg is the only facility currently in outbreak status. There is one active staff case at the facility, with results pending for an outstanding test on another individual.
With cautious optimism, we note that we continue to have no active COVID cases among residents at Winnipeg’s long-term care homes, which has been the case since April 1.
Our success in reaching this milestone is a result of our vaccination efforts, combined with the dedication of the staff, managers, and facility operators in Winnipeg’s long-term-care sector to the health and safety of residents. Their dedication to providing the best care possible, despite the unprecedented and stressful circumstances of this pandemic, is to be saluted.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely, as well as take all the necessary steps to protect residents and staff, and to prevent future outbreaks in our long-term care facilities.
We would like to note that the definition of an outbreak at PCHs was recently changed provincewide in accordance with new provincial Infection Prevention and Control guidance to PCHs across Manitoba. As of April 19, a COVID-19 outbreak at a long-term care facility is defined and declared with a total of two cases (staff, resident, or visitor), epi-linked within 14 days of each other, and where at least one could have been acquired in the LTC site.
As a result of this change, previously declared outbreaks at Donwood Manor, Lions PCH, Oakview Place and Parkview Place were all cancelled on April 20.
Also as of April 19, there is a provincewide change to when outbreaks are declared resolved. An outbreak may be declared resolved after two incubation periods (28 days) without any new cases following isolation of the last case. Where the outbreak involves only staff cases, if the staff persons are isolating at home, the outbreak can be declared over after one incubation period (14 days) from the last positive case, if high risk contacts are tested at the end of the isolation period before taking off precautions and before declaring the outbreak over.
The COVID-19 outbreaks at Heritage Lodge and Meadowood Manor were therefore declared resolved as of April 20.
For a complete list of facilities with active COVID-19 outbreaks, please scroll to the bottom of this post.
A message to our staff, residents, PCH partners, and our community:
The staff, managers, facility operators, and leadership in our long-term-care sector grieve deeply and sincerely for the loss of PCH residents who contracted the virus, and as fellow citizens of Winnipeg we share in the pain experienced by so many families in our community.
Staff at Winnipeg PCHs continue every day to step up and tirelessly ensure the care and safety of residents, despite the unprecedented and difficult situation. They have been understandably tired and worried at times, yet they persevere, and we would like to extend our sincere gratitude for their efforts.
Managers in Winnipeg’s personal care homes and long-term-care facilities, and the leadership of our long-term-care program, continue every day to consider best practices and implement measures according to clinical experts and established protocols. We will employ every feasible tool at our disposal to ensure outbreaks can be mitigated and controlled to the best of everyone’s ability.
Measures underway:
COVID-19 vaccination:
Winnipeg PCHs have collectively held a total of 127 vaccination clinics since January 2021, in cooperation with the long-term care program and Public Health. Clinics continue for new residents who require their first or second dose, and to complete vaccinations for residents who were ill or hospitalized during earlier vaccination clinics.
As of April 20, 5,171 first doses of COVID vaccine have been administered to Winnipeg PCH residents, while 4,985 Winnipeg PCH residents have now received two doses of vaccine.
We would like to offer our thanks and congratulations to the Focused Immunization Teams, PCH staff and management, and everyone else who has assisted with the effort to immunize PCH residents in our community. You have made a valuable contribution in the fight against COVID-19 and helped protect the lives of thousands of people, and we are grateful for your efforts.
Staffing:
While some sites continue to identify staffing needs, staffing is largely stable across the region.
Nevertheless, we continue to monitor staffing closely. Processes are in place currently to ensure staffing assistance is available to PCHs if required.
Staff who had been redeployed to PCHs in recent months, largely from the Community Health Services sector, have returned to their home sites, as the demand for staff to fill shifts in PCHs has significantly declined. We would like to commend all redeployed staff members who worked shifts in PCHs over the past few months. Your willingness to assist in the fight against COVID-19 outbreaks is tremendously appreciated.
On-site supports to PCHs and resident care:
A WRHA clinical lead continues to be available to homes as needed.
This site leads works with management at PCH facilities to provide oversight and guidance, and issues/ concerns are communicated to WRHA Long Term Care leadership regarding resident/ clinical care aspects, staffing resources, infection prevention and control practices, and family communication.
WRHA clinical leads have also been assisting PCHs with vaccine clinics and post-outbreak recovery planning, as well as assisting PCHs with preparatory planning for potential outbreaks in the future.
The Canadian Red Cross continues to be available to provide infection prevention and control guidance to PCHs. The Canadian Red Cross is not currently providing on-site support aides at any Winnipeg personal care homes.
PCHs can continue to access the WRHA community intravenous (CIVP) team, palliative care team, regional infection prevention and control staff, and respiratory therapy specialists to support COVID-19 residents with higher care needs.
Regular physician coverage and medical monitoring of residents continues to be provided onsite and virtually at any identified priority sites.
N95 fit-testing within licensed Personal Care Homes and Long-Term Care (LTC) facilities continues as needed.
Management and Oversight
Regular situational update calls with the management teams of all PCHs and the WRHA long-term care program have been established to share information, progress and challenges in real-time.
Winnipeg PCHs currently experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks (as of April 21, 2021)
- Middlechurch Home of Winnipeg