What we know — and don’t know — about the COVID-19 outbreaks at Grace Villa
More questions than answers remain surrounding Grace Villa long-term-care home, the site of Hamilton's worst outbreak, which is back in outbreak just days after its previous one was declared over.
More than a week has passed since concerning allegations were released about conditions inside the east Mountain home, where there were 234 cases and 44 deaths in less than two months.
Here's what we know and what we don't about Grace Villa:
How is Grace Villa back in outbreak so soon?
Public health declares an outbreak over when no new cases appear 14 days since the last onset of a symptom or exposure to COVID-19 in a facility. That doesn't mean there are no active cases at the time. Although Grace Villa's outbreak was declared over on Jan. 20, because of a new staff case, the home is back in outbreak as of Jan. 31. The number of active cases inside the home remains unknown.
How many cases are there at Grace Villa?
As of Feb. 1 at 3 p.m., there is one staff case in the latest outbreak, declared Jan. 31. However, there may be other active cases from the previous outbreak.
What's the difference between Grace Villa and APANS Health Services?
Grace Villa is a long-term-care home at 45 Lockton Cres. APANS Health Services is a for-profit company that runs Grace Villa and four other homes in the province. Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) has been managing Grace Villa since Dec. 16 through a voluntary contract approved by the province.
What steps is Grace Villa taking to control its recent outbreak?
In an email late Tuesday, APANS' CEO Mary Raithby said staff and residents are undergoing regular" testing under public health's direction. She added that enhanced" infection prevention and control procedures remain in place, including monitoring personal protective equipment (PPE), resident and staff screening multiple times" daily and increased cleaning. She says there is ongoing education on proper handling of PPE and physical distancing.
Is the Ministry of Long-Term Care investigating complaints against the home?
It's unclear. A day after the allegations were made public, Conservative MPP Donna Skelly said the matter was being looked into" by the ministry. However, the ministry has not directly answered if it's following up. All the ministry says is it can take action if an inspector finds issues in the home. But the one provincial inspection that took place during the outbreak turned up nothing. That's despite public health's inspection a day later which found problems in the home.
How many staff are working inside Grace Villa?
We don't know. In an email, neither Raithby nor HHS responded to questions about which organizations are providing staff to the home and how many. Instead Raithby said, Grace Villa has sufficient staffing for resident care and we continue to work collaboratively with HHS and our community agencies."
How many staff and residents have been vaccinated in the home?
According to Raithby late Tuesday, Grace Villa has had 105 residents and 147 staff vaccinated.
When are Grace Villa residents supposed to get their second doses?
Public health says the home is set to receive the second doses on Thursday, Feb. 4.
Is Grace Villa accepting new residents?
No, according to Raithby. It's unclear if residents who were previously hospitalized and have since recovered are able to return to the home. Raithby did not address this question.
Maria Iqbal's reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows her to report on stories focused on aging issues. Reach her via email: miqbal@thespec.com.