COVID-19 outbreaks in senior homes declining
The effort to focus on long-term-care homes for COVID-19 vaccinations appears to be paying off.
Over the weekend, outbreaks ended at four more long-term-care and retirement homes across Niagara.
While 10 remain in outbreak status, that is the fewest since the start of the year and likely since at least midautumn.
Niagara Region Public Health reported nine new COVID-19 cases Monday, the second time in the past week that number has stayed in single digits.
In the past seven days, the region has seen 109 new cases, compared to 161 during the week before that.
One more death was reported, the fifth in the past week and 366th since Niagara recorded its first death in late March.
There are 259 active cases, the fewest since Dec. 12 when the same number was reported.
But, while that day in December marked the start of a sharp upward trend that peaked in mid-january at 1,330 active cases, Monday’s number comes as Niagara’s caseload continues to shrink.
However, the region remains in grey lockdown status and public health officials urge people to continue to mask up in public, avoid social contacts outside their household and stay home as much as possible.
The move to focus initial vaccinations on seniors living in long-term-care and retirement homes — carried out by public health staff — was directed by the province last month due to a temporary vaccine shortage.
So far, public health workers have administered 9,251 doses. They’ve completed the round of second-dose vaccinations at long-term-care homes and on Monday were 85 per cent finished at at-risk retirement facilities.
Even so, according to the provincial government’s website, 251 residents from 16 long-term-care homes across Niagara have died during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Niagara Health continues to provide first- and second-round vaccinations for front-line health-care workers from long-term-care and atrisk retirement homes, as well as some hospital staff, at its temporary clinic in St. Catharines.
The four outbreaks that ended over the weekend were at Extendicare in St. Catharines, Maple Park Lodge in Fort Erie, Pleasant Manor Radiant Care in Virgil, and Lookout Ridge Retirement Community in Pelham. Continuing outbreaks are reported at: In Niagara Falls, at Emerald Retirement Residence on the fourth floor, and Chippawa Creek at Bella Care Residence (second and third floors);
In St. Catharines, at Linhaven nursing home’s Secord unit, Heatherwood Retirement Residence (independent living), Heidehof Home for the Aged, Tufford Manor and Garden City Manor — which is the longest-running current outbreak, declared Nov. 22 and during which the province reports 25 residents have died;
In Niagara-on-the-lake, at Niagara Long-term Care Residence (Pinery and Shaw units), in Lincoln at Albright Manor and in Fort Erie at Crescent Park Lodge.