Call for stricter vaccine mandates as long-term-care home outbreak turns deadly

A growing and deadly COVID-19 outbreak at a Hamilton long-term-care home comes as Ontario’s chief medical officer of health raised the potential of stricter staff vaccine mandates in vulnerable settings.

“We need to protect patients in that environment,” said Dr. Kieran Moore. “Everyone around them should be immunized.”

Infections have been steadily climbing at Macassa Lodge since an outbreak was declared Sept. 15. The city-run longterm-care home is up to 12 COVID cases — six residents, five staff and one visitor. It’s unknown how the outbreak started.

One COVID death has been reported at the east Mountain home at 701 Upper Sherman Ave. The senior was age 80 or over; Of the city’s 411 COVID deaths, nearly two-thirds have been in this age group. The city doesn’t provide the vaccination status of those who died. It reports 96 per cent of residents at Macassa are fully vaccinated and 68 per cent have had a booster third dose.

There is no data on how many of Macassa’s staff are vaccinated — the province is expected to make such information public in the coming weeks.

“We’ll work with the institutions … but if we’re not achieving the immunization rates required to protect the vulnerable, we may have to look at stronger policies,” Moore said Tuesday.

Current regulations require many health-care workers and education staff to disclose their vaccination status. The unvaccinated have to undergo education and regular testing. However, their workplaces are allowed to implement stronger rules which has left a patchwork of policies across the province.

As an example, Toronto’s University Health Network has set a deadline of Oct. 8 for staff to be vaccinated before they’re put on unpaid leave for two weeks. After that, they face termination.

Meanwhile, Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare have gone with the province’s minimum requirements.

McMaster Children’s Hospital is the only major children’s hospital in Ontario not imposing stricter measures than the minimum.

Hamilton Centre MPP Andrea Horwath called on the government Wednesday to require mandatory vaccination of all Ontario health-care and education workers.

“That needs to happen,” said the NDP leader.

Nearly 60 per cent of Hamilton’s 17 ongoing outbreaks are at seniors’ homes, schools and child-care centres.

Where are the outbreaks?

Start date and number of cases

> Schools and child care

Heritage Green Child Care Centre — Sept. 10 — 3

Huntington Park Elementary School — Sept. 15 — 2

Kids and Company (Waterdown) — Sept. 21 — 2

Shannen Koostachin Elementary School —Sept. 18 — 2

South Meadow Elementary School — Sept. 21 — 2

St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School — Sept. 13 — 2

Tapleytown Elementary School — Sept. 18 — 5

> Seniors’ homes

Macassa Lodge — Sept. 15 — 12

Pine Villa Care Centre — Sept. 19 — 2

St. Joseph’s Villa — Sept. 20 — 5

> Workplaces

Canada Clean Fuels (Burlington Street East) — Sept. 15 — 2

CH Construction — Sept. 21 — 2 Dessco Countertops — Sept. 14 — 4 Hallex Engineering Ltd. — Sept. 20 — 3

> Sports

Freshfhiit Athletic — Sept. 11 — 4

Hamilton Hurricanes Football — Sept. 16 — 4

Joanna Frketich is a Hamilton-based reporter covering health for The Spectator. Reach her via email: jfrketich@thespec.com