2 more Calgary seniors homes confirm cases of COVID-19, bringing total to 3
Two more Calgary long-term care facilities have confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total in the city to three.
Earlier Tuesday, the operator of the McKenzie Towne long-term care home in southeast Calgary confirmed that a third resident had died of COVID-19. Dozens of residents and some staff at the seniors home have tested positive for COVID-19.
In her daily briefing on the state of COVID-19 in the province late Tuesday afternoon, the province's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, confirmed that there is now also an outbreak at the Carewest Glenmore Park care home at 6909 14th Street S.W. in Calgary.
Carewest confirmed the outbreak in a statement to CBC News on Tuesday evening.
"On March 22, a staff member from Carewest Glenmore Park tested positive for COVID-19," the statement read in part.
"Subsequently, on March 24, a client was sent to acute care with respiratory symptoms and also tested positive for the virus. That client is currently doing well and recovering in hospital."
The statement said that 21 of the residents in Carewest Glenmore Park, and a large number of the staff, were tested after the first diagnosis of the virus within the facility. All results have come back negative.
It also said that Carewest has partnered with Alberta Health Services to investigate the outbreak, and enhanced screening and cleaning measures are being enforced in the facility.
And a resident of a third seniors home in the city, the Extendicare Cedars Villa at 3330 Eighth Avenue S.W., has tested positive for COVID-19, the facility confirmed in an emailed statement to CBC on Tuesday.
The resident has been in isolation since beginning to experience symptoms last Friday, Extendicare Cedars Villa said.
All admissions and discharges from the home have been halted while movement within the facility has been restricted to reduce transmission, the statement said.
On March 18, Cedars said a staff member had contracted symptoms after coming into contact with someone who had contracted COVID-19 after international travel. CBC News contacted the seniors' home to inquire about the result of that staff member's test and the care home declined comment.
In her daily briefing, Hinshaw said Alberta had had another death from COVID-19 on Tuesday and 64 new cases of the illness.
That brings the total number of deaths in the province to nine and the number of cases to 754.
The province said more specific numbers from the facilities experiencing outbreaks are expected later this week.
