COVID-19 outbreak at Kingston retirement residence nears 50 cases

A COVID-19 outbreak at a Kingston retirement residence has resulted in mainly asymptomatic residents or those with mild symptoms, despite spreading to over 40 people, according to the management of the facility.

According to both Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (KFL&A) Public Health, and Sienna Senior Living – the company that manages Waterford Kingston Retirement Residence – the outbreak was declared on Thursday, Apr. 28, 2022.

“Unfortunately, with the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19, high levels of the virus continue to circulate in the community,” said Nadia Daniell-Colarossi, Senior Manager of Media Relations and Communications for Sienna Senior Living. “Since the first case was detected, team members have been working around the clock to protect the health and well-being of residents.”

While KFL&A Public Health no longer reports the number of cases involved in COVID-19 outbreaks in the region, Daniell-Colarossi shared that, since the outbreak was declared last week, there are currently 48 active cases of the virus amongst residents at the retirement home. However, “the majority” of those residents are “either asymptomatic or [experiencing] mild symptoms only,” she expanded.

“This is likely a result of high rates of third and fourth doses of vaccinations among residents,” she speculated.

Waterford Kingston Retirement Residence, which is located on Cataraqui Woods Drive in Kingston’s west end and holds 182 beds, offers both independent and assisted living for seniors, and has a memory care unit for women. The retirement home is currently working with Public Health, as well as “undergoing COVID-19 testing throughout the residence to monitor the spread and… performing regular wellness checks on residents to ensure any symptoms are well-managed,” according to Sienna Senior Living.

“The health and safety of team members and residents [are] paramount,” said Daniell-Colarossi. “Enhanced infection protection and control measures have been put in place, including all team members wearing N-95 masks. We are grateful for our team members, Public Health, and the community for their support in protecting our residents.”

For the most up to date data on COVID-19 in the KFL&A region, visit the Kingstonist COVID-19 Quick Reference Guide. Please note that KFL&A Public Health is now only updating their COVID-19 dashboard on Tuesdays and Thursdays weekly.