September 8, 2021 – MENNO HOME OUTBREAK – New COVID positive = 0 (T=34 / E1)

COVID UPDATE – September 8, 2021 – Menno Home Outbreak

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES = 0

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = Menno Home E1: 34 (21 residents / 13 staff)

PASSED AWAY: 1 resident E1 – this resident was palliative pre-outbreak

The only COVID positive results at this time are contained to the Menno Home E1 unit.
All staff and residents who tested negative in the first swabs done in Menno Home E1 are being tested again today.

September 7, 2021 – MENNO HOME OUTBREAK – New COVID positive = 1 (T=34 / E1)

COVID UPDATE – September 7, 2021 – Menno Home Outbreak

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES = 1 staff E1

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = Menno Home E1: 34 (21 residents / 13 staff)

PASSED AWAY: 1 resident E1 – this resident was palliative pre-outbreak

We continue to wait for results from the point-prevalence testing.
The only COVID positive results at this time are contained to the Menno Home E1 unit.
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Visits for Menno Home – E1, E2, W1, W2
Essential Visitors permitted with full PPE
Social visits are not permitted.
Staff are cohorted to work only on their specific unit within Menno Home and may not move from unit to unit.
Social Visitors for all other locations:
Social visits continue across the campus.
Masks are mandatory for all (regardless of immunization status) for the entire duration of your visit. Fully immunized no longer permitted to take off mask when alone with your loved one.

September 6, 2021 – MENNO HOME OUTBREAK – New COVID positive = 1 (T=33 / E1)

COVID UPDATE – September 6, 2021 – Menno Home Outbreak

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES = 1 staff E1

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = Menno Home E1: 33 (21 residents / 12 staff)

PASSED AWAY: 1 resident E1 – this resident was palliative pre-outbreak

We continue to wait for the results of the first expanded point-prevalence testing. 157 residents and 124 staff are included in this swabbing. We thank the staff who did the swabbing as well as those who have gone to get their COVID swab.
The only COVID positive results at this time are related to the Menno Home E1 unit.
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Visits for Menno Home – E1, E2, W1, W2
Essential Visitors permitted with full PPE
Social visits are not permitted.
Staff are cohorted to work only on their specific unit within Menno Home and may not move from unit to unit.
Social Visitors for all other locations:
Social visits continue across the campus.
Masks are mandatory for all (regardless of immunization status) for the entire duration of your visit. Fully immunized no longer permitted to take off mask when alone with your loved one.

September 5, 2021 – MENNO HOME OUTBREAK – New COVID positive = 1 (T=30 / E1)

COVID UPDATE – September 5, 2021 – Menno Home Outbreak

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES = 1 staff E1

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = Menno Home E1: 30 (21 residents / 9 staff)

PASSED AWAY: 1 resident E1 – this resident was palliative pre-outbreak

We are sad to report that one resident on E1 has passed away. Our condolences to the family as they grieve the loss of their loved one.
One new COVID-19 positive staff from E1 reported today. All swabs of Menno Home residents were completed. All staff who worked since Aug. 27th are being tested as well.
This swab testing is a point-prevalence testing (PPT) that provides the baseline data for analysis and further action.
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Visits for Menno Home – E1, E2, W1, W2
Essential Visitors permitted with full PPE
Social visits are not permitted.
Staff are cohorted to work only on their specific unit within Menno Home and may not move from unit to unit.
Social Visitors for all other locations:
Social visits continue across the campus.
Masks are mandatory for all (regardless of immunization status) for the entire duration of your visit. Fully immunized no longer permitted to take off mask when alone with your loved one.

Menno Place follows the Provincial Health Order (PHO) for Mandatory Vaccination

Mask wearing for Care Home Visitors – On July 19th, all care homes were ordered to change the masking mandate for social visits, allowing the fully vaccinated visitor to remove their mask when alone with their loved one. At the same time, the fully vaccinated staff were no longer required to wear mask and goggles in the workplace. Staff reported proof of vaccination and were given a green name tag to indicate full vaccination status, allowing them to not wear mask or goggles. With the current outbreak at Menno Home, all staff in every building are once again required to wear a mask regardless of immunization status.

Menno Place implemented this change for visitors by creating a visitor badge/sticker system that many of you have enjoyed using in Menno Home, Menno Hospital and Terrace East. A green badge/sticker indicates to staff and residents that you are fully vaccinated and (at that time) permitted to be without a mask when alone with your loved one. With the current outbreak at Menno Home, masks are now mandatory for all social visitors regardless of immunization status or building in which the visit takes place.

*Note of interest – Since social visiting began (unsupervised) on April 1, 2021, our Visitation Hosts have screened 14,215 visits! Incredible! Thank you, all, for your vigilance and your visits!

Mandatory Vaccination for Staff – On August 12, Dr. Bonnie Henry announced that all staff in Long-term care and Assisted Living will be required to be fully vaccinated by October 12th in order to work in a seniors care home.

Since that time, all staff in BC care homes have been ordered to provide their Personal Health Number to the employer and we are ordered to report these numbers to Fraser Health. These PHNs will be cross-matched with the Fraser Health Immunization Record to provide an accurate account of vaccination status for all care homes in British Columbia.

The PHO also states that unvaccinated staff are ordered to do a rapid test prior to their shift effective September 8. Menno Place has provided rapid test kits at all staff entrances since July and provided training for staff and encouraged rapid testing for all staff. These rapid tests have protected our residents as asymptomatic staff have discovered a COVID positive and not entered the workplace to put any resident or co-worker at risk.

With the Menno Home outbreak, Menno Place has asked ALL staff in ALL buildings to do a rapid test before EVERY shift, regardless of immunization status. Rapid test centers are set up with kits, instructions and guidance on what to do if the test is positive for COVID. The test is really easy to do and Sharon Simpson, Director, Community Enrichment has done a quick video for staff to show how to do a self-test.

The BC Ministry of Health will be providing the parameters for unvaccinated staff to have a vaccine exemption for either medical or religious reasons. We have not, yet, received those parameters.

The number of staff at Menno Place who are unvaccinated is a small percentage of our staff team. Exact numbers of unvaccinated staff will be made available to us through the Fraser Health. We do not, yet, have that information.

Social Visitors Vaccinated? – We have not heard if there will be any changes to the requirement for visitors to be vaccinated in order to enter care homes.

Service Providers Vaccinated? The PHO includes service providers and contractors among those who must be vaccinated in order to enter care homes.

Reduction of Symptoms – As you know, the vaccination does not prevent an individual from contracting COVID. The possibility of contracting COVID increases with the prevalence of COVID in the community and with the type of COVID that is present. Currently, 95% of all COVID cases are the Delta variant which is among the most contagious virus known. As the rate of COVID in the community increases, so does the risk of contracting COVID. As you know, the rates of COVID in BC and the Fraser Valley are increasing. This is why we encourage the use of all layers of protection – masks, hand hygiene, social distancing.

We are encouraging all of our residents in the Apartments to, once again, use these layers of protection, regardless of immunization status. This is also extended to the visitors who are visiting in the Independent Living Apartments. Be vigilant and use every protective tool we have – for the sake of the vulnerable who call Menno Place their home. If your loved one attends church, encourage them to wear a mask as an additional layer of protection.

The current outbreak with its relatively mild symptoms for the vaccinated staff and residents has been an encouragement to us that the vaccination is a layer of protection without which we would be re-living the experience we had last winter in Menno Home E2 where 14 of the E2 Home residents succumbed to COVID and 65 residents and staff contracted COVID. (Note – there were 2 other residents who succumbed to COVID who were not residents of Menno Home E2 for a total of 16).

Please continue to pray for Menno Place – for protection from the COVID virus and for the leadership as we continue to put into place the Provincial Health Orders.

September 4, 2021 – MENNO HOME OUTBREAK – New COVID positive = 0 (T=29 / E1)

COVID UPDATE – September 4, 2021 – Menno Home Outbreak

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES = 0

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = Menno Home E1: 29 (21 residents / 8 staff)

No new COVID-19 cases reported today. Fraser Health is supporting Menno Home during this outbreak by providing supplementary staff for all outbreak units as well as for the work of swabbing 197 Menno Home residents. The COVID-19 swab testing began today and will be sent to the Canadian Center for Disease Control for results. The staff have all been contacted and COVID-19 swab testing is being done on all staff.
This swab testing is a point-prevalence testing (PPT) that provides the baseline data for analysis and further action.
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Visits for Menno Home – E1, E2, W1, W2
Essential Visitors permitted with full PPE
Social visits are not permitted.
Staff are cohorted to work only on their specific unit within Menno Home and may not move from unit to unit.
Social Visitors for all other locations:
Social visits continue across the campus.
Masks are mandatory for all (regardless of immunization status) for the entire duration of your visit. Fully immunized no longer permitted to take off mask when alone with your loved one.

September 3, 2021 – MENNO HOME ENTIRE CARE HOME ON OUTBREAK

COVID UPDATE – September 3, 2021 – Menno Home All Units on Outbreak

We are sad to let you know that all units, effective immediately, at Menno Home have now been declared on outbreak by the Medical Health Officer. This decision has been made with an abundance of caution.
What does this mean?
  • Safe visits are closed for the duration of the outbreak.
  • All residents and all staff will be swabbed.
  • Essential visitors connect with nurse of your loved one’s unit for current update about visits.

September 3, 2021 – MENNO HOME E1 – OUTBREAK – New COVID positive – 21 residents, 8 staff (Total=29)

COVID UPDATE – September 3, 2021 – Home E1 Outbreak

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES = 1 resident, 3 staff

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 29 (21 residents / 8 staff)

All swabs have been returned for the E1 Home Lounge (see map below). There is only one positive resident. Three additional staff have tested positive. The lounge and the chalet are being cohorted to prevent cross-transmission between them. Family has been notified.
Testing for residents and staff throughout the campus of care is vigilant – we are testing at the first sign of any minor symptoms. Any additional COVID swabs for residents or staff have been returned as negative.
Visitors and Staff for Home E1:
Essential Visitors are permitted to visit residents on Home E1 with full PPE.
Social visits are not permitted.
Staff are cohorted to work only on their specific unit within Menno Home and may not move from unit to unit.
Social Visitors for all other locations:
Social visits continue across the campus.
Masks are mandatory for all (regardless of immunization status) for the entire duration of your visit. Fully immunized no longer permitted to take off mask when alone with your loved one.

Menno Home E1 – Map

Orange = Lounge side of Home E1
Red = Chalet side of Home E1

September 2, 2021 – MENNO HOME E1 – OUTBREAK – New COVID positive – 20 residents, 1 staff (Total=25)

COVID UPDATE – September 2, 2021 – Home E1

HOME E1 DECLARED OUTBREAK

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES = 18 residents, 3 staff

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 25 (20 residents / 5 staff)

This morning, the swabs for the residents and staff from Menno Home E1 Chalet came back with 20 residents and 3 staff testing positive for COVID-19. Families have been notified. Swab results for Menno Home E1 Lounge have not been returned. See map (below)
Dr. Ken Dueck, our Medical Director, reminded us that this is an entirely different outbreak than the one we experienced before the COVID vaccine was available. Two residents had mild symptoms and were found to be COVID positive on August 31st. This put into motion the testing of all other residents and staff who were in close contact with the residents. The rest of the residents who are now found to be COVID positive were not exhibiting symptoms that would warrant a COVID test.
This is a significant difference as pre-vaccine transmission caused significant symptoms and 14 of our residents lost their lives as a result. We are grateful for the significant reduction of symptoms for our  fully vaccinated residents and staff. The vaccine does not completely prevent an individual from becoming COVID positive, but vastly reduces the symptoms.
Visitors:
Essential Visitors are permitted to visit residents on Home E1 with full PPE.
Social visits are not permitted.
Staff are cohorted to work only on their specific unit within Menno Home and may not move from unit to unit.

Menno Home E1 – Map

Orange = Lounge side of Home E1
Red = Chalet side of Home E1

September 1, 2021 – MENNO HOME E1 – New COVID positive – 2 residents (Total=4)

COVID UPDATE – September 1, 2021 – Home E1

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES  = 2

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 4 (2 resident/ 2 staff)

Two residents are confirmed COVID positive. Families of residents have been notified of the COVID positive test and the COVID exposure in E1 Menno Home.
Public Health has ordered that Menno Home E1 be on Droplet Precautions.
Healthcare workers are required to wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) before entering the room of a resident. They are trained on the correct use of how to don and doff (put on and remove) PPE. Wearing appropriate PPE when in proximity to a resident (regardless of COVID diagnosis) provides an additional layer of protection for the staff and reduces the possibility of transmission of COVID from one resident to another.