Extendicare is making headlines again as a COVID-19 outbreak at its Elmview care home in Regina left every one of its residents infected.
According to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, all 46 long-term care residents and 14 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 since the outbreak began on Sept. 3.
Three of those infected residents died during the outbreak, however, the SHA cannot confirm COVID-19 as the cause.
As of Thursday, there are seven active COVID-19 cases at Elmview with 39 residents recovered.
The SHA says many of the residents who are positive either have very mild symptoms or are entirely asymptomatic.
It added that since the outbreak was declared, universal personal protective equipment use requirements for all staff have been reinforced and it is closely monitoring all residents for any possible symptoms.
When asked about the outbreak, provincial Health Minister Paul Merriman touted high vaccination rates among Elmview residents.
“This goes to show what the vaccines are doing. I was told there is a high vaccine rate at this facility. I would imagine there would have been more challenging outcomes if those people weren’t vaccinated,” said the health minister.
NDP seniors critic Matt Love doesn’t see the outbreak in the same light.
“With this outbreak at Elmview with 46 residents infected and three deaths, for the health minister to consider that a minor outbreak I think its a heartless comment,” said Love.
On Oct. 9 the SHA will be taking over control of the five Extendicare locations in the province.
That includes the Parkside facility, where 39 residents died after an outbreak that began in 2020.
Love says this latest outbreak only highlights an already fractured relationship that has public confidence waning.
“It’s a big concern due to the history of this relationship in this province between the Sask Party and Extendicare. It’s been a bad relationship throughout and yet here we are again dealing with an outbreak that is putting seniors at risk,” said the seniors critic.
Epidemiologist Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine was not surprised that the BA.5 variant of COVID-19 could make its way through an entire care home.
“Outbreaks like this could happen and will happen in the future at a time when we don’t have complementary public health measures in place,” said Muhajarine.
He added that it’s clear that personal COVID-19 measures are not enough to keep impact down.
They need to be complemented with community-based measures, like quality ventilation and filtration systems.
Meanwhile, the provincial government has extended its bivalent vaccine rollout.
Starting Monday, Sept. 19, the Moderna bivalent booster dose will be available at SHA vaccination clinics and pharmacies for all Saskatchewan residents 70 years and older, and all Saskatchewan residents 50 years and older in First Nation and Métis communities.
“We have to remember that although we’ve had around 40 outbreaks this month due to COVID, thankfully, the overall mortality is much lower than before we had the vaccine,” said chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab.
Shahab recommends people receive the bivalent booster dose at least four months following their last COVID-19 vaccination.
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