Nine die in ‘rapid’ outbreak at Barrie LTC home
A deadly outbreak of COVID-19 has raced through a Barrie long-term-care home, claiming the lives of nine residents in 10 days and infecting more than 100 people, amid fears it could have been sparked by a coronavirus variant originating in the U.K.
The outbreak at Roberta Place was declared when a single case was found in a resident on Jan. 8. As of Sunday, there were 110 cases (62 residents and 48 staff members), according to local health officials.
Dr. Charles Gardner, the medical officer of health for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, acknowledged the spread was more rapid than in most COVID-19 outbreaks.
“The outbreak unfortunately has had a very rapid and high attack rate,” Gardner said in an emailed response to questions from the Star.
Gardner added that he issued an order to the home to accept aid from local physicians, hospitals and other organizations. The Canadian Red Cross has been brought in to help deal with the devastating outbreak, which had already infected 48 per cent of the residents and 38 per cent of staff by Sunday, Gardner said.
Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman said he’s monitoring the situation closely. “I’m extremely concerned with the situation at Roberta Place and am working today with public health officials to try to support them in getting more medical personnel to the home,” Lehman said in an emailed statement.
Gardner added that tests are being performed to see if any of the cases in the outbreak were caused by the so-called U.K. variant of the virus that causes COVID-19, which is believed to be up to 50 per cent more transmissible than the virus already in circulation.
“Testing is currently underway to determine if the U.K. or other variant strain is part of this outbreak. Having said that, we do know that there have been cases of variant strain already found in Ontario, and it would not be surprising if the variant strain is found in this outbreak,” Gardner said.
A spokesperson for Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott called the prospect of outbreaks caused by the U.K. variant “very concerning.” “Recent modelling showed that if community transmission of this variant occurs, Ontario could experience much higher case counts, (intensive care unit) occupancy and mortality,” said Alexandra Hilkene.
Stephanie Barber, a spokesperson for the company that owns the Barrie home, Jarlette Health Services, said the company’s sympathy goes out to the families of the people stricken by COVID, especially those of the nine residents who died. Barber added that 71 residents and staff of the home were vaccinated on Saturday.
One person working at Roberta Place, whose identity is being protected because they aren’t authorized to speak publicly, said staff — and outside workers brought in to help — are overwhelmed and stressed.
“Every single part of a longterm-care home is overwhelmed in a situation like this,” said the worker, who argued the military should be called in. “There simply aren’t enough resources at the local level to deal with something on this scale.”
A spokesperson for Ontario’s minister of long-term care, Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, said Roberta Place is close to signing a “voluntary management contract” with a local hospital to ensure it gets help to deal with the outbreak.
Seniors advocate Laura Tamblyn Watts said the outbreak shows that Ontario didn’t make enough changes in the operation of long-term-care homes after the first wave of COVID-19 last spring.
“We learned lessons, but most of them weren’t used,” said Watts, CEO of the advocacy group CanAge. Watts believes there were three key steps the provincial government should have taken. “In the summer, there should have been mass training and hiring. In the fall there should have been mandatory rapid testing for anyone going in and out of long-termcare homes. And right now, we need paid sick leave. As long as there isn’t paid sick leave, there will continue to be outbreaks,” said Watts.