October 15, 2021

Dear Families and Residents of Kamloops Seniors Village,

As a follow up to our current exposure event as indicated below, we have had no further updates or changes from the health authority. Therefore, the current restrictions from the Medical Health Officer and Health Authority continue to remain in place, at minimum, through October 20, 2021, or until Interior Health provides clearance to lift the restrictions.

Our next e-mail update to families will be on Monday, October 18, 2021.

On Monday October 11, 2021 we were informed that one of our fully vaccinated Long Term Care staff members who last worked on our 1A neighbourhood October 6, 2021 had tested positive for COVID 19.  We have since been notified of a separate second fully vaccinated staff member that last worked on Long Term Care 2C on October 9, 2021 had tested positive for COVID-19. Both had contracted the virus from within the Kamloops community.

Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, the following restrictions for Long Term Care 1A & 2C Neighbourhoods are now in effect:

• Neighbourhoods are CLOSED to social visits
• Residents are not permitted to leave the neighbourhood

• Essential visits only for fully vaccinated visitors
• 2x daily symptom monitoring for residents, with low threshold for testing for all residents when applicable
• Palliative visits can continue
• Residents not fully vaccinated are to be on isolation for the duration of the exposure event

• More urgent appointments can be reviewed on case-by-case basis with the Health Authority

• All Staff continue to wear masks and protective personal equipment
• Residents are only isolated to the neighbourhood, not to their rooms
• Partially vaccinated staff per MHO guidelines continue to be rapid tested every shift until they are 14 days after second dose (fully vaccinated)

At this time, we have no residents or additional staff symptomatic, however, we have implemented our enhanced cleaning and exposure protocols. Our clinical team is in contact with Interior Health for daily check-in calls. The affected staff members are resting at home and doing well.

This exposure does not affect our Assisted-Independent Living side of the building.

STAFF VACCINATION UPDATES

We also wanted to share the current parameters regarding staff vaccination requirements per the directive from the Provincial Medical Health Officer to ensure the safety of staff and residents:

• Staff members who have received two doses by Oct. 11, but seven (7) days have not passed since their second dose, may continue to work; however, they must comply with preventive measures (wearing a medical mask and submitting to rapid testing on every shift).
• Staff members who have received only one dose of COVID-19 vaccine on or before Oct. 11 may also continue to work; however, they must also comply with preventive measures (wearing a medical mask and submitting to rapid testing on every shift). Following Oct. 11, these staff members must receive their second dose of vaccine no longer than 35 days after their first dose or they may be placed on leave.
• Staff members who have not received their first dose by Oct. 11 will be placed on leave on Oct. 12. If these staff receive their first dose by Oct. 25, they will be permitted to work with preventive measures seven days after their first dose. The staff member must also receive the second dose of vaccine no longer than 35 days after their first dose or they may be placed on leave.

VISITOR VACCINATION UPDATES (Updated as of October 15, 2021)

As announced in the Tuesday, October 5, 2021 B.C. COVID-19 pandemic update, visitor policy for long-term care and all other health-care settings in B.C. has been updated.

Starting Oct. 12, 2021, visitors to long-term care and assisted-living facilities will need to show their vaccine card for proof of full immunization. Partially vaccinated visitors will be permitted entry until October 26, 2021 ^{(date change),} as per the October 14, 2021 updates from the BC CDC/Health Authority.

After this date, all visitors will need to provide proof they are fully vaccinated (excluding children under 12 years or those with an approved medical exemption).

The BC CDC Long-Term Care Facilities & Assisted Living COVID-19 resource section on visitor protocol has been updated as well for you to review at your convenience.

Effective October 12, 2021:
* Visitors who do not demonstrate that they are either partially or fully vaccinated will not be able to enter a facility (excluding children under 12 years or those with an approved medical exemption);

• Partially vaccinated visitors will be required to have a rapid test completed by our screener prior to their visit. They will also be required to keep their mask on at all times until 7 days after their second dose.

Effective October 26, 2021:
*   Visitors must demonstrate they are fully vaccinated to enter a facility (excluding children under 12 years or those with an approved medical exemption)

Updates will continue to be communicated to you, which will also be posted to the Community Update Section of our Website.  If you have other family or friends who would like to be updated, please feel free to direct them to www.retirementconcepts.com.

Sincerely, The Kamloops Team