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Eight more COVID-19 cases identified at Esquimalt care home

The Sunset Lodge outbreak is up to 34 cases in total
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Eight more COVID-19 cases were identified at the Sunset Lodge long-term care home in Esquimalt on Wednesday.(Google Maps Streetview)

Eight more COVID-19 cases were identified at the Sunset Lodge long-term care home in Esquimalt on Wednesday.

Seven residents and one staff member make up the additional cases. The eight new cases come from testing administered on Tuesday.

The outbreak is now at 34 cases – including 14 staff and 20 residents – since it was declared last week. One resident death was confirmed on Tuesday. Island Health said the majority of residents are experiencing mild or no symptoms.

Wednesday’s release was the first update on the outbreak where Island Health said “because COVID-19 can have an incubation period spanning multiple days, it is likely that new positive results are a result of transmission that occurred prior to the outbreak being identified.”

The update said Island Health’s medical health officer is confident in the control measures in place at the care home.

Those measures include putting admissions, transfers and social visits on hold while the outbreak is in effect; resident and staff movement is limited but staffing levels will be maintained to provide resident care; mask and eye protection use is required for all staff; enhanced cleaning and infection control measures continue; and twice a day screening of all staff and residents continues.

The release said safety measures are reviewed on a regular basis.

Island Health said its COVID-19 long-term care rapid response team is supporting the site.

READ: Resident dies as COVID-19 outbreak worsens at Esquimalt care home


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