A resident of Alpine Summit Seniors Lodge has died due to COVID-19.
“This is incredibly sad news and has made a difficult situation even tougher,” said Kristen Chambers, CAO of the Evergreens Foundation in a letter to residents, staff and family members of the facility.
“My thoughts go out to the family of this resident and also to all of the AHS and Evergreens Foundation staff as they deal with this loss.”
A COVID-19 outbreak was declared at the Jasper seniors’ home on Nov. 29 when a first case of the virus was reported there. By Dec. 4 there were five active cases, and a further three were identified Dec. 7.
As of today, Dec. 15, there are a total of 18 reported cases related to Alpine Summit Seniors Lodge, 17 of which are active, with one death.
Information about individual cases will not be released by the Evergreens Foundation, but if your loved one has tested positive, you will be contacted directly by either AHS or site administration.
Enhanced outbreak measures and strict isolation guidelines are in place at the facility, and secondary testing is ongoing.
Chambers said anyone who develops even mild symptoms, including staff and residents, will receive additional testing.
“I would again like to thank the families and community for the kind emails they are sending to our staff,” she said.
“We often read these emails through tear-filled eyes, fully recognizing the difficult situation we are in, but grateful for the compassion and support we are getting from your community.”
Chambers said many families have been visiting their loved ones virtually as visitors are discouraged from entering the lodge.
Requests for scheduled visits are managed on a case by case basis, following Public Health guidance, and asymptomatic testing is offered by Alberta Health Services as part of the outbreak for designated family/support persons to enter the lodge.
Latest Jasper case numbers
The outbreak at Seton – Jasper Healthcare Centre remains active. It was declared on Nov. 27 when four cases were identified. As of Dec. 15, seven individuals associated with the facility had tested positive.
Data released by Alberta Health on Dec. 15, up-to-date as of end of day Dec. 14, reported a total of 53 active cases of COVID-19 in Jasper.
This included four new cases and four recoveries from the previous day.
In total, there have been 150 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in Jasper since the beginning of the pandemic, with 96 recoveries and two deaths. (The recent death at Alpine Summit is not yet included on Alberta Health’s map).
