An outbreak has been declared at The Hamlets in Westsyde. One staff member has tested positive for COVID-19, but hasn't worked at the facility since Nov. 9 (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

COVID-19 OUTBREAK

The Hamlets ensuring COVID-19 outbreak protocols in place on all floors to keep staff, patients safe

Nov 16, 2020 | 4:18 PM

KAMLOOPS — From the time The Hamlets found out one of its staff tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday (Nov. 14), the long-term care facility has been diligently cleaning and ensuring residents and staff remain safe.

“One of our first calls was with Interior Health. We’ve had three conversations with them since Saturday and we meet with them on a daily basis to review the status,” said Hamlets general manager Bob Attfield. “We have notified all the staff, obviously. All the families have been notified.”

According to The Hamlets, the staff member hasn’t worked since last Monday (Nov. 9). Even with just one case, Interior Health has declared the site a COVID-19 outbreak.

“We’ve had one staff member who worked while infectious, so that triggers the declaration of the outbreak, according to our provincial guidelines,” said Interior Health Medical Health Officer Dr. Carol Fenton. “The reason for doing that is so we can implement extra prevention measures to make sure that we’re protecting everyone as much as we can.”

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The Hamlets has been preparing for an outbreak like this since the pandemic began in March. It cares for 155 patients over 10 floors. Two of those floors have been declared as part of the outbreak. However, the facility has implemented outbreak protocols on all floors.

“That includes having staff stay on their care floor,” said Attfield. “Additional protocols are that the staff arrive in the room behind me. They put on their masks right away. They socially-distance. They change from their street clothes into their work clothes. We do the typical screening questions, as well as take temperatures twice a day of all of our staff.”

Susan Simpson is concerned about her son Jessie, who lives at The Hamlets. She wants him quarantined for the next couple weeks.

“We have surgery coming up on the 30th and very worried about Jessie, of course. It’s scary with his condition and his immune system,” said Simpson. “It’s your family member. It’s scary. I’m scared of losing him.”

The outbreak at The Hamlets is the first in a long-term care facility in Kamloops. Attfield says it speaks to how the virus affecting the province beyond the Lower Mainland.

“To the families and to the entire community, we cannot let down our guard. We have to make sure we’re being vigilant and making sure that we’re taking every precaution that we possibly can,” noted Attfield. “This is real. It’s here in Kamloops. We’ve been watching the news and we’ve thought, ‘Oh, it’s just a Lower Mainland concern.’ But it’s a concern for everybody.”