Family members of seniors in long-term care want tighter COVID-19 rules for visitors

Vancouver -

Family members of seniors living in long-term care and the BC Care Providers Association are calling for tighter measures when it comes to visitors.

As of now, British Columbians 12 years of age and up must be at least partially vaccinated to enter a restaurant, gym, or sporting event. However, there’s currently no provincial mandate forbidding someone who’s unvaccinated from visiting someone inside a long-term care or assisted living facility.

Jeanette Harper, whose 90 year-old Mother Marguerite Bell lives at a Nanaimo care home, finds it hard to believe.

“I think anyone that has a loved one in long-term care finds it hard to understand how they can be letting visitors in who are unvaccinated,” Harper said.

“If visitors are coming in they should be double vaccinated."

Residents of long-term care and assisted living homes in B.C. began getting their third COVID-19 vaccines on Monday.

Last week, health officials announced that residents would be offered the booster shots both because of the risks associated with living in group settings and due to the fact that older people are shown not to develop as strong of an antibody response to their first two doses.

There are currently 18 active outbreaks in long-term care and assisted living facilities across the province.

The CEO of the B.C. Care Providers association, Terry Lake, says many of the outbreaks have been caused by asymptomatic staff members, but with the Delta variant changing the course of this pandemic, he wants to see the government implement stricter measures.

"We have not seen visitors as a source of infection to date, but with the Delta variant we know it's so easily transmissible, we think this is a possibility,” Lake said.

Staff members working in these facilities must be fully immunized by Oct. 12.

Monday, during his post legislature media availability, Health Minister Adrian Dix said to expect the same for visitors.

"With respect to visitors in long-term care I expect you'll see action concurrent with that as well, Dr. Henry will be reporting on that tomorrow as well."

Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry are scheduled to hold a briefing on Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.