The Omicron variant has closed Queens Manor long-term care home to all visitors, caused staff shortages and created stress for staff and residents alike.<\/p>\n
With the first people to test positive returning to the facility, Executive Director Andrew MacVicar says everything will be okay.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we have residents come off isolation from being positive and staff returning to work from being positive I think it\u2019s a very important step towards realizing that we\u2019re going to be okay and we can live with COVID-19, however that is defined in the future.\"<\/p>\n
MacVicar also wants to eliminate the stigma associated with a positive test.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s possible that you could do everything right, which our staff are doing, and be, \u201cthe one\u201d to bring it into the building when in reality, there will never be a \u201cone\u201d person who brings it into the building, in all likelihood, with the volume of viral activity that\u2019s out there,\u201d said MacVicar.<\/p>\n
MacVicar says staff have pulled together to ensure the residents are cared for and Queens Manor will again open the doors to designated caregivers the moment enough staff are in place to provide adequate screening and training of visitors.<\/p>\n