Highrise offered gym as vaccine site months before outbreak, says public health never responded

The company that owns Village Apartments said it suggestedthe building's gymnasium be used as a COVID-19 vaccine clinic months before an outbreak was declared there and that it's "disappointing" public health never responded to its offer.

Lori-Anne Gagne, CEO of VictoriaPark Community Homes, said it offered the gymback in February, but did not hear back from public health.

The company offered it again on Monday, after an outbreak had been declared and staff met with healthofficials at the facility.

"It is disappointing that public health did not take us up on our offer not only of space but of our staff support as well," wrote Gagne in an email to CBC.

"We knew that because of mobility issues, language barriers and challenges with on-line booking that many of our residents would face challenges getting the vaccine so we tried to be proactive back in February."

The Village Apartments is the site of one of three COVID-19 outbreaks in Hamilton highrises.

The city's first outbreak in an apartment building was declared at Rebecca Towers. It hit 107cases on Tuesday. One person has died.

Residents have been calling for their postal code (L8R) to be declared a hot spot and for amobile vaccination clinic to be set up there to combat rising cases.

Hamilton Mountain MPP Monique Taylor joined that call, raising the plight of the tenantsduring question period Tuesday.

"Why were the tenants of the Rebecca Towers left to get sick or die without the province acting to get this community more resources, more vaccines and urgent help?" she said.

"Rebecca Towers tenants need a safe home, and the whole community need vaccines now."

Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, Hamilton's medical officer of health, said on Monday that public health is not looking at offering shots on-site at any of the building outbreaks.

Health officials are offering on-site testing at each of the buildings.

'We need vaccines': Rebecca Towers residents speak out

3 years ago

Duration 0:59

Members of the Rebecca Towers tenant committee share their concerns following a COVID-19 outbreak in their building.

The other two highrise outbreaks were announced by public health on Tuesday following investigations into "clusters" of cases, Richardson said.

Investigators found 29 cases across 15 units atVillage Apartments, which is a250-unit building at 151 Queen Street North, with most of those involved testingpositive between April 28 and May 4.

Twenty-two cases were alsotalliedat the Wellington Place Apartments, which is at 125 Wellington Street and has360 units. Those casesappeared between April 17 and May 8, said Richardson.

She said it's important to understandit's normal to see some cases in buildings that are home to hundreds of people, but"It's when they build up to such a level that you start to be concerned about, is there some other reason for transmission occurring?Then we would go in and investigate."

Public health is working with the landlords to "identify factors that contribute to the spread of the virus," she said.

A spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about Village Apartments offering its gym as a site for a vaccination clinic.

More cleaning staff atWellington Place Apartments

Gagne said Victoria Park is "very concerned" about the outbreak, adding the company is cooperating with the health unit.

Equiton, which manages Wellington Place Apartments, said it was notified about the outbreak on Monday and is following recommendations from public health.

The company said it will be bringing in additional cleaners to contain the outbreak, including two people who will focus "solely on disinfecting common areas."

No non-essential visitors will be allowed insidethe building until public health allows it, said the company, adding building security will be in place to ensure COVID-19 protocols are being followed in shared spaces.

Equiton also noted that daily sanitization has been taking place throughout the pandemic, hand sanitizer is available in all common areas, masks are mandatory and all three elevators in the building are working, though they're limited to two people at a time.