Rising outbreaks among the vulnerable
Shalom Village in outbreak again after inspection found infection control issues
The number of COVID-19 outbreaks in high-risk settings is on the rise in Hamilton.
The city reported 33 active outbreaks Tuesday, including five with at least 20 cases each. Three of the current outbreaks have had deaths.
The largest active outbreak was at Idlewyld Manor where 40 have been infected since April 18. The long-term-care home at 449 Sanatorium Rd. on the west Mountain has had 32 residents test positive, seven staff and one visitor.
All of the highest case counts were at seniors’ homes, which account for 20 of the ongoing outbreaks.
Shalom Village Nursing Home has had 32 infected since April 15. Failings related to infection, prevention and control were recently found by provincial inspectors at the long-term-care home on Macklin Street North in Westdale.
The inspection took place over 20 days in January and one day in February — much of it while the home was in a different outbreak that has since been declared over.
The report dated Feb. 28 noted more than 80 staff members with issues around N95 respirators. The masks were either not fit tested or the testing was expired since 2020 or the right fit of personal protective equipment (PPE) had not been available in the home for an extended time.
One staff member was even observed going in and out of resident rooms on an outbreak unit without wearing an N95 respirator at all.
The inspection called it “widespread noncompliance” and ordered the home to fix the issues by June. 27.
Shalom Village leaders said in a letter to residents and families on April 6 that the fit testing was underway and mostly completed. They blamed a pandemic-shortage of accredited professionals to do the fit testing and a lack of PPE provincially for the shortcoming.
In addition, Shalom Village was accused of failing to do active COVID screening of those entering the home, including when the inspectors were let in. This issue has since been fixed to the satisfaction of the Ministry of Long-Term Care, the leaders said in the letter, which they provided to The Spectator.
Other large ongoing outbreaks include 20 cases at Wentworth Lodge in Dundas since April 5 and 21 infections at Villa Italia Retirement Residence on the west Mountain since March 31. Summit Heights Retirement Residence in Hannon has had 25 test positive and one die since an outbreak was declared April 1.
The other deaths were in two separate outbreaks at Hamilton General Hospital at 237 Barton St E. The first was on Unit 8 west, where 17 have been infected and one has died since April 14, and the other was on Unit 6 west, where there have been nine cases and one fatality since April 22.
In total, there were four ongoing outbreaks at Hamilton General on Tuesday involving 41 cases, including 31 patients.
Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) also had an active outbreak at St. Peter’s Hospital on Maplewood Avenue in central Hamilton. St. Peter’s provides complex continuing care, mostly to vulnerable seniors. All 10 of the outbreak cases were patients.
“We now have five COVID-19 outbreaks at our hospital sites,” CEO Rob MacIsaac tweeted Tuesday. “As much as we want this to be over, it’s not.”
The outbreaks contribute to strain on the hospital network, which has been reporting significant overcrowding. Occupancy at Hamilton General was 114 per cent Tuesday, while Juravinski Hospital was at 120 per cent. Ideal is 85 per cent to 90 per cent.
HHS and St. Joseph’s were caring for 146 COVID patients Tuesday, including eight in the intensive care unit.
The hospital networks were also missing 400 staff who were off work self-isolating.
“Please use all the protective measures we have — get vaccinated, wear a mask in indoor settings when feasible, and if you’re sick, don’t go to work or school,” MacIsaac tweeted. “This will help preserve much needed capacity in our hospitals and help keep our patients and staff safe.”
MacIsaac referenced the COVID wastewater signal in Hamilton, which was at the highest it has ever been as of April 19 — the latest data available.
Wastewater surveillance reported by the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table also estimated an increase as of April 20 for Central West, which includes Hamilton, Brant, Haldimand-Norfolk, Niagara, Waterloo and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph.
Other metrics have shown some relief, such as daily average cases, which dropped to 164 on April 24 from 187 on April 14. It’s a significant underestimate as the public hasn’t had access to PCR testing since Dec. 31.
The per cent of tests coming back positive has decreased to 15.3 per cent Tuesday from 18.2 per cent on April 16.
But outbreaks in high-risk settings have been going up. The number has not come close to the record of 101 active outbreaks at the height of the fifth wave in January. But the current 33 is a marked increase from 22 on April 14.
Outside of the 25 outbreaks in seniors’ homes and hospitals, there were two in shelters, one in correctional facility Arrell Youth Centre and five in groups homes and other types of assisted congregate living.