Second COVID-19 death confirmed at Burlington long-term care home

A second resident has died at a Burlington long-term care home.

The Village of Tansley Woods has been dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak involving the Delta variant.

The death of the first resident was reported last week.

“The team at The Village of Tansley Woods shares this sense of grief, as two residents from that Village who had previously tested positive for COVID-19 have also passed,” read a statement by Schlegel Villages, which operates the Village of Tansley Woods.

“Our thoughts are with family and friends who are feeling this sorrow most acutely at this time.”

The outbreak was declared on June 28 and according to Halton Region Public Health, 18 residents and two staff members tested positive for COVID-19.  

As of noon on Monday, just over 90 percent of The Village of Tansley Woods staff have been vaccinated with their first dose and 77 per cent have had a second shot.

As for residents at the home, 98.5 per cent of residents have had their first dose, while 97 per cent are fully vaccinated.

“We look forward to another vaccination clinic at Tansley Woods this week for residents, essential caregivers and team members,” the statement said.

Schlegel Villages said it would not release any information about the victim, residents or staff members in effort to protect their rights to privacy.

They also stated that “team members are not the sole risk of transmission.”

“The joy our team members gain in the relationships they nurture in their role as caregivers is countered by sorrow, grief and loss on a regular basis, however, for they so often must say goodbye,” the statement read.

“Whether COVID-related or not, the passing of friends is a reality faced by everyone in the caregiving sector, and when charts upon websites tally case counts and deaths as they have over the past 16 months, we fear people lose sight of the fact that each number represents so much more than a statistic.”