WINNIPEG -- When COVID-19 first hit, public health officials warned those over 65 with underlying medical conditions are at greatest risk.

As outbreaks continue to be declared at long term care homes in Winnipeg, we’re starting to see it first hand.

Parkview Place is a long term care home in Winnipeg that offers personalized care for its residents.

As of Wednesday, the care home has had a total of 89 positive COVID-19 cases, 67 of those cases are residents and 22 are staff.

Nine residents have died due to the virus, and a combination of 12 staff and residents have recovered.

Lisa Muswagon’s father lives in Parkview Place.

She said her family made the difficult decision to move the 72-year-old there in the spring, now her mother says it’s the worst decision she’s ever made.

“She feels really bad for letting him go there because as of September 17th, which was the day of his birthday, that’s when we were told we couldn’t see him,” said Muswagon.

Parkview Place told her the building was going into lockdown due to an outbreak of COVID-19 cases.

Now she’s concerned about her father’s health.

“My worry about COVID is that he’s going to get infected and we won’t be able to see him, and he’ll just die in there.”

The Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba (LTCAM) said it’s tragic how this virus attacks our most vulnerable population, and many seniors in long term care homes have multiple health issues.

Executive Director of LTCAM, Jan Legeros said it needs more funding and more staff to handle the increased workload that COVID-19 adds.

“There are so many other related duties now that we have COVID in our midst, that it’s just not possible to expect the same staff compliment to be able to manage all of that,” said Legeros.

Legeros added one of the reasons we’re seeing a large increase in care home cases is because of the large number of cases we have in the community.

She said we can all do our part by following the health regulations.

Manitoba’s Chief Provincial Public Health Officer, Dr. Brent Roussin said the province has provided an exemption to the “one site rule”, he said it’s necessary because staffing levels have been hard to keep up.

He said we need to protect our long term care facilities.

“Once that virus gets in there we have so many vulnerable people in those facilities, and the ultimate best way to protect those facilities is to limit community-based transmission,” said Roussin on Tuesday.

Parkview Place said residents are monitored twice a day for symptoms, staff is screened at the beginning and end of their shift, and residents are required to self-isolate.

Muswagon doesn’t like the idea of her father being alone in his room, and she worries about other families that have loved ones in Parkview Place.

“They need help, they need support, they’re lonely, they’re cooped up in their rooms.”