Wednesday January 13, 2021 | SOOKE, BC
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., editor | Island Social Trends
The Ayre Manor Seniors’ Housing complex in Sooke has worked hard to make sure there has been no COVID-19 among their residents or staff.
“There has never been a case. We’ve been following all of Island Health’s rules,” says Ayre Manor’s Director Care, Linda Quigley.
Visitors are screened, everyone wears masks, people come and visit on a scheduled basis, there is plenty of hand washing, and there is extra screening of staff, says Quigley.
“We’re all dedicated to following the rules. We follow the guidelines to a tee,” said Quigley in an interview with Island Social Trends today. She says “the staff here are very dedicated to not bring it (the COVID virus) in”.
Speaking with Island Social Trends today, the long-time health care professional described the adaptations that have happened since the beginning of the pandemic. Later in 2020 the regulations were changed. Now there can be one social visitor for each resident, per day, for 60 minutes. Essential visitors are also allowed, which is helpful to staff workload. ‘Visiting’ through a window can be done anytime.
Ayre Manor has been operating in Sooke for many years — the facility itself opened in 2008 but the organization that owns it (Sooke Elderly Citizens’ Housing Society) got rolling back in 1968 to make it happen. They presently have 25 assisted living units and 31 units for complex care (including some hospice care).
The 19 units on the Ayre Manor property in Sooke town centre are for independent living are just that — independent, like renting an apartment suite — and are not in any way affected or responsible to the health-care system restrictions and guidelines.
Supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) were a bit problematic at the beginning of the pandemic last year. But now Island Health “has a large supply” and there are “no problems”, says Quigley.
On Vancouver Island there have been 1,152 test-positive COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Presently there are 182 active cases, with 12 of those people in hospital (one in critical care). There have been 13 deaths due to COVID-19 on Vancouver Island during the pandemic to date (almost a year now); most deaths (about 80 per cent) have been in long-term care.
In the area thought of locally as ‘the Sooke region’, there has been a case in Sooke, one in Port Renfrew, one in Langford, and a death in Metchosin, says Quigley.
As of January 12, 2021 the age distribution of COVID cases on Vancouver Island has been as follows (showing new cases in the last 24 hours in brackets):
- under age 10 years: 62 (2 new)
- 10 to 19 years: 106 (1 new)
- 20s: 234 (4 new)
- 30s: 195 (4 new)
- 40s: 154 (1 new)
- 50s: 157 (no new)
- 60s: 138 (3 new)
- 70s: 69 (no new)
- 80s: 29 (1 new)
- 90+: 8 (no new)
