Rollout of 2nd booster round begins for N.B. nursing home residents

As New Brunswick continues to struggle with 84 active COVID-19 outbreaks at long-term care homes, with 866 people infected, the rollout of second boosters for nursing home residents has begun.

But the Department of Social Development is still working on a plan for other long-term care residents, said spokesperson Rebecca Howland, citing a lack of nursing staff.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended on April 5 the "rapid deployment" of second COVID-19 booster shots for people aged 80 or older and those living in long-term care and other congregate settings.

Three days later, the province announced it was expanding eligibility to include all New Brunswickers aged 50 and older, provided at least five months have passed since their last dose.

The shots have been available at pharmacies for those who meet the criteria since April 19.

Social Development and the Department of Health collaborated to establish a process of ordering COVID-19 vaccine by nursing homes, said Howland, noting all licensed nursing homes have a vaccine-certified fridge to store all vaccines.

Nursing home operators and their clinical teams are "following the established processes as well as immunization guidelines to implement the roll out of second boosters as residents become eligible," she said in an emailed statement.

The vaccination data from nursing homes is reported to Public Health by the nursing home clinical teams. This ensures that nursing homes are able to provide eligible residents with their vaccinations "on an ongoing basis independently," said Howland.

"Since not all adult residential facilities have nursing staff, the department is working on a plan for the second booster," she said.

"However, the process has already begun with the completion of consent forms for eligible residents in preparation for the roll out."

Of the 84 COVID outbreaks, nearly 62 per cent of them — 52 — are at special care homes, with 339 infected residents and 102 infected staff.

Nursing homes account for a quarter of the outbreaks, at 21, with 222 residents and 142 staff who have tested positive for the virus.

Sixty-seven people have died during the Omicron-fuelled fifth wave, which began in early January, according to figures provided by Howland.

She did not provide any dates, but as of April 8, there were 59 deaths, which means eight more people have died in just over two weeks — four at special care homes and three at nursing homes, and one at a generalist care home.

At least 30 cases confirmed in Tucker Hall outbreak

One of the nursing home outbreaks is at Shannex's Tucker Hall, a 90-bed home in Saint John's north end, which was hard hit by outbreaks early in the pandemic, including several deaths.

There are eight active cases among residents, down from 14 Monday and 16 a week ago, said spokesperson Isabelle Landry.

There are four active cases among employees, according to a weekly update sent Tuesday to Tucker Hall family members and obtained by CBC News. Only one employee was positive, as of Monday, down from three last week, Landry had said.

At least 30 cases have been confirmed since the outbreak began. The date was not provided.

Our team is well-prepared to manage this situation and they are working hard to control the spread of the virus.- Isabelle Landry, Shannex spokesperson

"Our team is well-prepared to manage this situation and they are working hard to control the spread of the virus with support from Public Health and our organizational infection prevention and control specialist," Landry said in an emailed statement.

"Residents who are positive are isolating in their suite and they have support from our team to keep them comfortable and engaged," she said.

General visitation has been temporarily suspended, but fully vaccinated designated support persons can continue visiting loved ones who have not tested positive or who have recovered from COVID-19, Landry said.

A weekly update sent to Tucker Hall family members on April 19 and obtained by CBC News said: "Designated support persons (DSPs) can still visit, however, if your loved one has tested positive for COVID-19, you will be required to wear full personal protective equipment (PPE) during your visit."

Asked to clarify, Landry said, "Our current visitation policy permits designated support persons (DSPs) to visit residents who have not tested positive for COVID-19 or who have fully recovered.

"As we respond to any outbreak, our team assesses information daily and works closely with Public Health to put precautions in place to prevent the virus from spreading. This means, we sometimes need to change our approach to keep everyone safe and well."

Tuesday's letter to families says designated support persons must be able to show proof of vaccination "if required" and reminds them to social distance "as much as possible" while in the home.

Designated support persons must pass screening and perform hand hygiene upon entry and when exiting the building, said Landry. They must also wear a mask at all times during their visit.

"Our fully vaccinated team members also continue to follow our infection and prevention control measures, including wearing a medical mask, performing hand hygiene, and remaining physically distanced during their shift."

"We understand this is an unsettling time for residents and families of Tucker Hall. We are assessing the situation daily and keeping families updated when there is new information to share," Landry added.

The update to families says the residents "show great resilience in these challenging times and continue to inspire" the staff.