WINNIPEG -- A resident of Parkview Place has died of COVID-19, marking the seventh fatality linked to the outbreak at the long term care home in downtown Winnipeg.
The woman was in her 100s, according to a bulletin released Monday by the province.
“The team at Parkview Place is devastated by this loss and offers their deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the person who passed,” said Dr. Rhonda Collins, chief medical officer at care home operator Revera, in a statement.
Collins said 74 cases are connected to the outbreak, which includes 57 residents and 17 staff members.
Seven residents and three workers have recovered from the virus.
“Residents who have tested positive are being cohorted on two floors, to reduce the risk of spreading the virus,” said Collins.
She added that seniors on all floors are isolating in their rooms and are monitored for symptoms twice daily.
Staff are screened at the beginning and end of their shifts and there is enhanced cleaning throughout the long term care home, according to Collins.
The outbreak at Parkview Place is one of several across Manitoba.
Calvary Place, Beacon Hill Lodge, Heritage Lodge in Winnipeg and Bethesda Place in Steinbach are also affected.
In the first wave of the pandemic, Manitoba was spared the kind of outbreaks that overwhelmed long term care homes in Ontario and Quebec.
But on Saturday, Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam warned the second wave could hit seniors just as hard as the first.
While the summer saw cases concentrated in the 20 to 39 age range, infection rates are increasing among the older population.
“We all have a shared responsibility to help protect those at highest risk,” said Tam. “When the spread of COVID-19 is kept to low levels in the community this decreases the exposure for older Canadians.”
With files from the Canadian Press.
