OLDS - Existing on-site restrictions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Mountain View Seniors' Housing (MVSH) lodges will remain in effect pending further instructions from the chief medical officer of health, chief administrative officer Sam Smalldon said last week.
MVSH owns and operates seniors lodges in Sundre, Olds, Carstairs and Didsbury.
COVID prevention restrictions have been in place at the lodges for many months, with some modifications made during that time under the direction of the chief medical officer of health.
The province moved into Stage 3 of the reopening plan on July 1, removing indoor gathering restrictions and masking requirements in most cases.
However, Smalldon said a number of the current preventative measures at MVSH lodges will remain in place for the time being, including:
• Screening of all visitors who are entering any lodge.
• Continuous masking and distancing during indoor visits, even if the visitor is fully vaccinated.
• Indoor visitation will remain in the resident’s room.
• Designated family/support persons (DFSPs) and social visitors cannot eat or drink during indoor visitations.
• Non-DFSP visits much be pre-booked as a social visit with the site contacts.
• Social visits on the grounds are not permitted.
While residents are not required to wear masks in common areas, all visitors must wear masks during visits, he said.
As well, staff members at lodges will continue to wear masks and eye shields for the time being, he said.
As for goings-on inside the lodges, he said, “The activity level inside is increasing but it still low. We are trying to do more but still not have too much going on inside the lodges.
“Everyone is going along with that because no one wants it going in the wrong direction.”
All MVSH residents who wished to do so have now received two vaccine shots, he said.
An online three-day town hall with the chief medical officer of health and lodge officials from across the province took place last week to updated operators, he said.
“It was to collect people’s feedback about reducing restrictions,” he said. “Out of that listening will come some changes, but we don’t know exactly which ones (restrictions) will be reduced.
“It will be a gradual reduction based on direction from the chief medical officer of health. The current order still stands.
“It’s very much a recipe and we have to follow the recipe. I don’t think it will be wholesale stop but it will be a gradual decline on restrictions.”
