'A scary thought': Confirmed COVID-19 case at Northwood causes concern
Long-term care advocates and family members of residents of Northwood in Halifax are expressing concern after a positive case was confirmed at the facility over the weekend.
Greg Sheaves says he wasn’t happy to hear of the positive case at Northwood, where his 85-year-old mother lives.
“Nobody called or notified me, and they said it wasn’t on that floor,” says Sheaves. “Without mandated vaccine, it’s a scary thought.”
Officials at Northwood confirmed Sunday that a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 at the long-term care home that was the epicentre of the virus during the first wave of the pandemic.
Northwood CEO Janet Simm says the positive test was identified during the facility’s routine screening, and contact tracing has been completed.
Simm said she was not able to confirm whether the staff member was fully vaccinated due to privacy reasons, but says more than 88 per cent of the facility’s staff are vaccinated.
Nova Scotia’s Minister of Seniors and Long-Term Care says as of now, workers at long-term care facilities don’t have to report their status, and neither do visitors, but both could change.
“We are working with a team on a vaccination policy for health care staff in the province of Nova Scotia, and that will be coming out soon,” said Barbara Adams.
One long-term care expert says she would like to see as many workers vaccinated as possible.
“Even if there is a very slight risk of getting the virus, it still reduces the extent of the virus,” says Janice Keefe, chair of the Department of Family Studies and Gerontology at Mount Saint Vincent University.
Keefe says making sure every worker who can be vaccinated gets both shots is important to keep everyone in long-term care facilities safe and avoid any more lockdowns.
“There were so many people important to resident who were shut out from those facilities, and I just don’t ever want that to happen again,” says Keefe, who also serves as the Director of the Nova Scotia Centre on Aging.
A total of 53 Northwood residents died from the virus last spring, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nova Scotia reported 55 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend, 34 of them in the Central zone, leading to a long list of potential exposure locations, including a number of Halifax-area bars and restaurants.
But not everyone is a fan of the continued exposure notices.
“It’s more about the negative image that it could portray of a restaurant that has done nothing wrong, and it’s just unnecessary when we have contact tracing in place,” says Luc Erjavec, Restaurant Canada’s Vice President Atlantic.
Some Halifax establishments say they are already requiring proof of vaccination to dine indoors, two weeks before it becomes mandatory on Oct. 4.
“We are a family restaurant with lots of elderly, and children under the age of 12, so we just want to make sure people feel safe coming here,” says Rose MacDonald, operations manager at the Chicken Burger in Bedford.
As of Monday, Nova Scotia has 129 active cases of COVID-19.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.