3 residents at Westman care home die from COVID-19, over 80% infected as delta variant spreads

Three residents have died and over 80 per cent have tested positive for COVID-19 during an outbreak at a small care home in western Manitoba.

Six staff at the care home in Benito — a village about 380 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg — also tested positive and are isolating after an outbreak declared there on Oct. 21, an official with Prairie Mountain Health said.

"It's a struggle," Brian Schoonbaert, the health authority's CEO, said Thursday. "This is difficult for the residents themselves, their families and, of course, the staff — but they have really done a great job supporting the residents as best they can in light of it all."

Prior to the outbreak, the Benito care home was typically staffed with one nurse around the clock, plus three health-care aides during the day shift, two during the late shift, and one overnight, said Schoonbaert. 

In light of the outbreak, staffing levels have been nearly doubled, he said.

Twenty-two of the beds at the 24-bed facility were occupied at the time of the outbreak, because two residents were already in hospital for other reasons.

Infections from the delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 spread quickly, said Schoonbaert. As of Thursday, 18 of the 22 residents had tested positive, along with the six staff. Six residents have recovered.

Schoonbaert said the first of three residents died on Oct. 27, followed by one on Tuesday and another on Wednesday.

"Any loss is hard, let alone three. Of course, these folks feel like the staff's family, so it is very hard on the staff to lose them to COVID," he said, adding mental health supports are available to staff.

Public Health still isn't yet aware how COVID-19 made its way into the home and may never know, Schoonbaert said, but screening protocols are still in place. Only designated caregivers were allowed in prior to the outbreak, and that's still the case, he said.

Schoonbaert also said more than 90 per cent of residents were fully vaccinated with two doses months before the recent cases emerged.

The new cases were identified just as the care home had started administering third doses, as part of a recently launched provincewide campaign prioritizing long-term care and congregate settings.

In September, Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization said older people who live in long-term care and congregate settings should get a third COVID-19 vaccine dose.

Dr. Joss Reimer, the medical lead for Manitoba's vaccine rollout, has said evidence suggests protection from vaccines may wane over time, particularly in older people.