File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Amandalina Letterio

Wildfire Impacts

COVID-19 adds complication to wildfire-prompted care home evacuations

Aug 20, 2021 | 2:22 PM

KAMLOOPS — Interior Health (IH) is feeling the pressure with COVID-19 cases rising — and now the added layer of wildfire evacuation orders.

IH Medical Health Officer Dr. Carol Fenton told CFJC News she had to help evacuate Nicola Meadows care home in Merritt after the city was put on evacuation alert earlier this week.

Fenton said the health authority begins to transport care home residents to other care homes before the city is put on evacuation order because when an order hits, there’s not enough time to get them out.

Residents are also expected to undergo COVID-19 testing when they move.

“We make sure not to transport any positive cases because we want to limit our impact on the receiving facility as possible,” said Dr. Fenton.

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“There was a lot of coordination, and again, most of us have never done this before in the context of a pandemic in the context of these wildfires, its just a lot at the same time,” she explained.

Fenton added that the wildfires have created a new hurdle in COVID-19 mitigation. Part of the struggle is finding seniors who test positive for COVID-19 a place to stay — with some having to be checked into hotels.