OLDS - Mountain View Seniors' Housing (MVSH) lodges will be complying with newly-announced easing of some COVID-19 restrictions by the end of the month, says chief administrative officer Sam Smalldon.
Although some COVID-19 restrictions have already been lifted at MVSH local lodges in recent weeks, further lifting of restrictions will be taking place by July 31 as directed by Alberta Health Services.
MVSH operates seniors lodges in Olds, Sundre, Didsbury and Carstairs.
The province announced last week that the first phase of reduced health restrictions in continuing care facilities will come into effect as soon as operators are able to make necessary changes.
The reductions are being made due to high rates of community vaccinations and reduced infections over the past month.
Under the new lifting of restrictions directive, visitors to lodges will no longer be limited in number or conditions.
Visitors will still need to be screened for symptoms or known exposure upon entering a facility, and will be required to wear a face mask in all common areas.
As well, it will remain strongly recommended that visitors who have not been fully vaccinated, including children under 12 years of age, wear their face masks continuously and in all areas of lodges.
All limits to dining and recreation activities are to be removed.
Residents will no longer be required to be screened upon re-entering the building or required to quarantine if they have gone off-site.
However, in specific circumstances, such as returning from an outbreak unit of a health facility, residents who have not been fully vaccinated may be required to quarantine.
Smalldon says MVSH residents and others will be informed as restrictions are lifted in the run up to July 31.
“Keep in touch with the lodge and if there are any changes we will be communicating those changes with them,” Smalldon said Friday.
“We are currently going through what we will be doing and when we will be doing it. We will be complying by the end of the month, that’s the simple message. We will be communicating with residents and families.”
Some restrictions and rules at Alberta continuing care facilities, including MVSH lodges, will remain in place after July 31.
Those will include screening upon entry and continuous masking for staff, students, volunteers and service providers, enhanced cleaning and disinfection routines in common areas, single-site staffing requirements, testing guidelines, isolation and quarantine protocols, and outbreak procedures.
MVSH is headquartered in Olds.
