City confirms COVID-19 death at Centre d'accueil Champlain

The Centre d'accueil Champlain long-term care home. located on Perrier Avenue in Ottawa. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa)

OTTAWA -

The City of Ottawa is confirming the death of a resident at the Centre d'accueil Champlain long-term care home from COVID-19 complications.

In a memo, General Manager of Community and Social Services Donna Gray said one resident of the city-run home, which is currently experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak, has died.

"Regrettably, I am sharing the news that a resident of Centre d’accueil Champlain has passed away due to complications arising from COVID-19. Our thoughts and prayers are with the resident’s family on the loss of their loved one," Gray wrote.

No other information about the resident was revealed.

Gray's memo said there remain three active COVID-19 cases at the home, which had seen 10 residents and 30 staff test positive since May 19, according to data from Ottawa Public Health. A previous memo from Gray said the B.1.1.7 variant had been detected at the home.

She also noted that one staff member and two residents still have active cases of COVID-19 at the city-run Garry J. Armstrong home, which has a declared outbreak on the fifth and sixth floors.

There are no active cases at Carleton Lodge or Peter D. Clark, the other two city-run long-term care facilities, Gray said.

As of Tuesday, there were 13 active COVID-19 outbreaks in congregate health-care settings, including four in long-term care homes.

More than 95 per cent of all long-term care residents in Ottawa have been fully vaccinated since March. The city said in mid-May that 71 per cent of staff at the Champlain home had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 and that there would be additional vaccination clinics for staff in late May.

An updated memo, sent Wednesday, said that the amount of staff at Champlain with at least one dose of a vaccine had risen to 77 per cent, which remains the lowest percentage among the four city-run homes. Carleton Lodge has a uptake rate of 83 per cent, and Garry J. Armstrong and Peter D. Clark each have 80 per cent of staff vaccinated with at least one dose.

Speaking to city council in late May, medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches said fully vaccinated people can still be infected by the virus.

"Where we see vaccine failure after the two doses, the most commonly is in people over 80, so it is going to be a more vulnerable population."