'Corner turned' in outbreak at Village of St. Clair as hospital ends oversight of operations

A Windsor long-term care home that experienced the region's largest COVID-19 outbreak says that a "corner has been turned" as hospital staff brought in to manage the spread left on Friday.

The Village at St. Clair said in a news release Friday that with the arrival of the Moderna vaccine, it believes that it's that much closer togetting the outbreak under control at the 256-bed facility. The home has been in outbreak since Dec. 8.

As of Friday, 46Village at St. Clair residents have died from COVID-19, according to Bill Marra, VP of external affairs at Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare.

At this time, the home said that 136 staff members, 89 residents and 47 essential caregivers have received the first dose of the vaccine.

With the rollout of the vaccine and returning staff members, the team from Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare is now transitioning off site but will maintain its partnership with the home.

The hospital took over key operations at the home on Dec. 24 the peak of the home's outbreak.

Marra said that although he has transitioned off site, he will be the only one from Hotel Dieuwho remains on the home's Incident Management Team to oversee the outbreak.

He said the amount of time he continues to work with the team will be reviewed on a weekly basis and that the hospital will deploy registered nurses and registered practical nurses on an "as needed basis."

As of Friday, 150 residentsand 119 staff had contracted the disease. There are 30 active resident cases and 36 active staff cases.

The home said it has also provided a personal protective equipment (PPE) education session to all caregivers entering its facility and is keeping up regular communication with families.

"I am quite satisfied with the improvements and changes that have been achieved over the past few weeks with a focus on resident care and managing the outbreak," Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare CEO Janice Kaffer said in the news release.

The hospital said it helped the home with itsinfection prevention and control practices, PPE strategies, weekly swabbing and the roll out of the vaccine.