WRHA PCH COVID-19 Status Update

December 31, 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 coordination with WRHA clinical management, PCH management and staff, regional programs, and community partners.

Current status:

As of 2 pm, Dec. 31, there were eight PCHs with a declared active COVID-19 outbreak among Winnipeg’s 39 long-term care facilities.

For COVID-19, an outbreak is defined and declared with a total of two cases (staff, resident, visitor), epi-linked within 14 days of each other, and where at least one could have been acquired in the long-term care site.

For a complete list of facilities with active COVID-19 outbreaks, please scroll to the bottom of this post.

Measures underway:

Visitation

All social/general visits and social leaves at Personal Care Homes across Manitoba were suspended effective Dec. 31, 2021.

Relevant exceptions remain in effect. Designated Family Caregivers will continue to have access to facilities provided they pass all screening requirements. Please contact individual PCHs directly for information on their current visitation procedures. For the provincewide guidance on visitation, please click here

Staffing

Staffing has become a challenge across the region over the past two weeks, and has been affected in recent days by staff sick calls as the Omicron variant spreads through our community, including to PCH staff who have tested positive for COVID or are isolating as a close contact or while awaiting test results.

PCHs have been advised to review their pandemic staffing plans and to implement service delivery and staffing strategies to mitigate the risk. We continue to monitor staffing closely. Processes are in place currently to ensure staffing assistance is available to PCHs if required, including to any PCH experiencing an outbreak.

On-site supports to PCHs and resident care

A WRHA Infection Prevention and Control coordinator has provided support to Holy Family Home and Beacon Hill Lodge, while a WRHA clinical lead continues to be available to all homes as needed, including to any PCH experiencing an outbreak.

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 Dec 31, 2021):

• ActionMarguerite Saint-Boniface
• ActionMarguerite St. Joseph
• Beacon Hill Lodge
• Golden Links Lodge
• Fred Douglas Lodge
• Heritage Lodge PCH
• Simkin Centre
• West Park Manor