Taxis, Uber drivers avoid care home with outbreak
Royal Rose Place looking for alternate methods to transport employees
Now three weeks into a COVID-19 outbreak that has claimed the lives of 11 of its residents and sickened a total of 110 people, Royal Rose Place in Welland now faces a new challenge — taxi drivers are refusing to serve the long-term care home.
In a letter to the families of residents of the home, Royal Rose administrator Helen Millar said local cab drivers are no longer willing to pick up employees, creating what she called “a monumental obstacle for our team members who rely on these services to effectively fulfil their roles and responsibilities, but it has also crushed the pride of these outstanding individuals who have remained so brave during these unprecedented times.”
Millar’s letter said she and a few Royal Rose staff are “transporting our team members to and from the home in an effort to ensure we remain fully staffed and equipped to care for our residents.”
Royal Rose is the hardest hit of six Niagara long-term care homes with COVID-19 outbreaks.
It has seen 66 residents and 44 staff contract the virus. So many staff have
been infected that the residence has asked staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 but have been asymptomatic for 72 hours to return to work — an action Niagara’s public health department, which has found several asymptomatic cases in long-term care homes, objects to.
Lundy Manor in Niagara Falls, which has had 41 residents and eight staff members infected, has had at least 18 residents with the virus die. Seasons Retirement Community, in Welland, has had five resident deaths and 17 residents and nine staff test positive for COVID-19.
Henley House in St. Catharines and Woodlands of Sunset in Pelham have a single case each. A new outbreak at Bethesda Home in Grimsby was declared by public health Sunday.
A spokesperson for one Welland cab company, Grand Taxi, said the company has not ordered its drivers to avoid Royal Rose, but it cannot force drivers to pick up fairs. At least one Grand Taxi driver is still picking up a longtime client who works at Royal Rose.
Niagara’s acting medical officer of health, Dr. Musfata Hirji, said his department has been in contact with cab companies to provide guidelines on how to protect drivers, including wiping down door handles with disinfectant and ensuring passengers are in the back seat.
Hirji said while driving someone who may be COVID-19 positive increases the risk to a driver somewhat, he said it remains low. If the passenger is wearing personal protective equipment, the risk falls to the same level as it is picking up any member of the public.
“There is no such thing as zero risk anywhere right now,” said Hirji, who said public health has not recommended cab companies avoid any long-term care home.
In the meantime, Millar said her home is “diligently looking into other alternatives to support transporting our team members to Royal Rose Place and we will continue to go above and beyond for them until we find a solution.”
“Should you have any suggestions or recommendations, we truly would welcome your thoughts and comments.”
Niagara said an additional 10 COVID-19 cases were confirmed Monday, raising the historic total number of cases to 462. Nearly half of those cases are connected to long-term care home outbreaks. The other half are cases for which the source of infection is unknown.
The health department confirmed an additional five deaths Monday, bringing the number of Niagara residents with the virus who have died to at least 42. That number makes the COVID-19 pandemic the most lethal outbreak in Niagara since the 2011 C. difficile outbreaks in local hospitals which claimed 37 lives.
Long-term care residents make up nearly 86 per cent of the total COVID-19 deaths in Niagara.