CAMPBELL RIVER -- As retirement homes and seniors' facilities in many parts of the country grapple with COVID-19, a facility in Campbell River is rejoicing in some good news.
Berwick by the Sea has been given the all-clear after a resident who had previously tested positive for the coronavirus has now fully recovered, according to Berwick's director of sales and marketing, Leslie Sikorski.
"It was a huge relief when we finally found out," Sikorski said. "We were contacted on the 11th of April by the communicable disease nurse and the medical health officer."
An elderly resident tested positive on March 24 and, despite the fact she was living with her partner, was the only person in the facility to do so.
Sikorski credits the efforts of staff for ensuring the virus didn't spread to others in the 140-resident facility.
"We're incredibly proud of our front-line heros, specifically those staff at Berwick by the Sea," Sikorski said. "They were tremendous in rolling out the pandemic plan and we also had incredible support from family members and a few community partners."
She says the spread was minimized by keeping residents in their suites and using a dedicated isolation team which was the only contact anyone had with the infected individual.
Information on how staff were able to conquer the virus is being shared with other facilities within the Berwick group in case they have infection problems.
Sikorski says the Campbell River facility was the only Berwick operation to have a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.
