'Seniors are the ones paying the price': Resident dies amid growing COVID-19 outbreak at White Rock care home

White Rock Seniors Village is seen in this image from the Retirement Concepts website.

Vancouver — A growing COVID-19 outbreak at a long term care home in White Rock appears to have turned deadly after a resident who tested positive for the virus died on Sunday.

The president of West Coast Seniors Housing Management confirmed the death with CTV News on Monday morning amid growing concerns about rising numbers of confirmed cases at White Rock Seniors Village.

An outbreak declared earlier this month has grown significantly since Friday.

In a post to its website this weekend, Retirement Concepts, which operates White Rock Seniors Village confirms 39 people have become sick.

That includes 23 residents on the third floor of the facility’s long term care building, as well 16 staff members.

On Friday, the website said only nine residents had tested positive.

Testing of second-floor residents was done over the weekend as well as additional testing of staff members. The operator is still waiting for those results.

Fraser Health first announced on Nov. 4 that one staff member at the facility had tested positive for the virus. It said a rapid response team was being sent to the home. Fraser Health’s outbreak tracking website indicates the outbreak was first declared on Nov. 3.

But one month earlier, on Oct. 3, Fraser Health also issued a notice saying a staff member at that care home had tested positive for the disease.

Retirement Concepts says the 16 staff members who are now ill are isolating at home, and work is being done with Fraser Health to ensure proper staffing levels are maintained so residents are properly cared for throughout the outbreak.

Extra precautions are being taken in an effort to stop the virus from spreading any further

“Following the direction of the medical health officer and Fraser Health, the residents will remain in their rooms with dedicated care staff,” Retirement Concepts wrote, noting it was in touch with family members of residents.

The president of West Coast Senior Housing Management believes the virus got into the facility through community spread to staff.

He says the outbreak is an important reminder of why people need to take personal responsibility for trying to prevent the spread of the virus.

“In the end the seniors, the people who are frail, are the ones who are paying the price, for people not being careful. For people not staying in their bubbles,” James Liebenberg told CTV News. “We really need the co-operation of society.”

He says stringent protocols are in place, including screening for anyone entering the building.

"We’ve got all those mechanisms but it’s the asymptomatic that we see as the biggest challenge,” Liebenberg said. “It is impossible to keep the virus out of the long-term care homes as it’s spreading in the community ... seniors are the ones paying the price."

There are currently no cases linked to the assisted living section of the facility, but Retirement Concepts is urging those who live in the assisted living building to only leave if it’s essential. They are currently not allowed visitors.

Four new care home outbreaks were declared in Fraser Health over the weekend. They are at PICS Assisted Living in Surrey as well as Jackman Manor in Aldergrove Kiwanis Care Centre in New Westminster, and George Derby Centre in Burnaby, which has had at least two other declared outbreaks in the past few months.