OTTAWA -- Ottawa’s medical officer of health warns there could be more COVID-19 related deaths at Ottawa’s long-term care homes in the coming days due to previous infection rates.
But Dr. Vera Etches is optimistic supports for long-term care homes from Ottawa hospital staff will help improve the situation in the next one to two weeks.
The comments came as the City of Ottawa announced the first death of a resident at a city-run long-term care home. Carlingview Manor also announced two more residents have died due to COVID-19.
“Ottawa Public Health continues to be concerned for our residents in long-term care homes during this pandemic,” Dr. Etches said on Friday afternoon.
Dr. Etches noted “most long-term care homes in Ottawa are free of infection and have not had the level of deaths that we are seeing, that are really found at four long-term care homes with the most challenges.”
As of Friday morning, there were COVID-19 outbreaks at 17 long-term care homes in Ottawa.
Dr. Etches says long-term care homes facing staffing challenges and large outbreaks have been paired up with Ottawa-area hospitals for staffing supports.
“They have support for staffing, and this has improved the situation in the homes. We continue to see the deaths, which are resulting from infections that occurred in the past.”
Dr. Etches says the Champlain Health Region Incident Command Team deploys the so-called hospital SWAT Teams to Ottawa’s hardest hit long-term care homes. The teams provide staffing support to the facilities, including extra personal support workers and cleaning staff.
“The homes are also being asked to pursue other methods to find and secure more staff,” said Dr. Etches, adding there’s also support from hospital staff on infection prevention and control.
The four hardest hit homes by COVID-19 in Ottawa are Carlingview Manor, Laurier Manor, Madonna Care Community and Montfort Long-Term Care Centre.
When asked by reporters what will happen in the next few days at the long-term care homes, Dr. Etches said Ottawa Public Health and the Champlain Health Region Incident Command are working to make sure “the situation improves into the future.”
“Unfortunately, I do think that the number of deaths can continue to rise because these are infections that have started previously and we’re seeing that negative outcome now,” said Dr. Etches.
“But I hope within a week or two, we’ll see the benefits of the added supports” from hospitals.
On Friday afternoon, it was announced that two more residents of Carlingview Manor have died due to COVID-19.
In a statement, Carlingview Manor executive director Matt Carroll says “I’m extremely sad to say that two more residents have passed away.”
A total of 38 residents at the 303 bed long-term care home on Carling Avenue have died due to COVID-19.
Carroll says 137 residents have tested positive for COVID-19, along with 73 staff members at the home.
“Staff members who have displayed symptoms of any kind or tested positive are isolated at home,” Carroll said in a note to residents and family members of Carlingview Manor.
“Every day, our staff members work tirelessly to fight against this insidious virus. We worry endlessly about the health and safety or our residents and of each other.”
