April 1, 2021
Dear Health & Transition Services Family Members:
We received great news today! Further review and investigation was completed by Dr. Embil, infectious disease specialist with the WRHA, for the respite admission on Child & Young Adult Health Services West who tested positive on Friday, March 26. This person has been deemed “COVID recovered”. This means that the person had COVID sometime earlier and was not contagious or actively ill when here. As a result, our outbreak has been declared over. Family visitation for all areas is open effective today! Please call to book your visit.
Vaccine eligibility is changing regularly, so please watch for your opportunity. As of today, the public 64 years and older are eligible to receive the vaccine. All Health & Transition Services staff are now eligible to receive the vaccine. Additionally, essential caregivers of those supported in personal care homes and congregate living facilities (including H&TS St.Amant) are eligible for the vaccine.
Essential caregivers are those who regularly enter the facility and provide care to their loved one. The vaccine phone line is open from 6:00 a.m. through 8:00 p.m. at 1-844-626-8222. You will need to have your Manitoba Health card ready, and will be taken through a series of screening questions. Noting that you are an essential caregiver of someone supported in congregate living at Health & Transition Services at St.Amant should screen you in. Once you’ve been given an appointment, you will need to print the consent form and fill it out, review the fact sheet, follow the checklist of what to bring and how to prepare, as well as print the map and information regarding parking at and around the RBC Convention Centre.
The long term care (LTC) program of which we are a part of, are advocating to the Provincial Pandemic team to have vaccination clinics at LTC sites for staff and families. We hope to hear more about this in the next week or so as well.
The number of variants is increasing in Winnipeg – the province announced 267 total cases this week. The variants have a higher rate of transmission, severe illness and death, and we are starting to see higher numbers of hospitalization and illness in younger people. We all need to be diligent in our personal and professional lives, limiting our interactions, following Public Health orders, and wearing our PPE, physically distancing, using hand hygiene and staying home when sick.
Please feel free to call me at 204-256-4301 ext. 4226 at any time if you have questions.
Thank you for your ongoing support and confidence in our team.
Happy Easter!
Joanne van Dyck, Senior Manager
Health & Transition Services
