Seniors advocate releases review of COVID-19 outbreaks at B.C. care facilities

A report from BC's seniors' advocate calls for mandatory vaccinations for all staff in assisted living and long-term care homes, along with booster shots for residents demands that the province had already started to act upon.

The report from Isobel Mackenzie says seniors in all types and levels of care home are three-and-a-half times more likely to contract COVID-19 and 33 times more likely to die of it.

Her review finds seniors especially those in care facilities have been the hardest hit by the pandemic because they are the most frequent victims of the virus.

Provincial data shows just under 1,100 residents of care facilities have died in COVID-19 outbreaks between January of last year and September of this year, while the total number of all pandemic-related deaths in B.C. is almost 2,000.

The report includes seven recommendations:

Increase paid sick leave for all staff

Increase the pool of direct care staff

Decrease contracting for direct care services

Increase levels of registered nursing staff as a proportion of direct care staff

Increase testing scope, timeliness and frequency

Eliminate shared rooms

Require staff of long-term care to be vaccinated and provide booster shots to residents