Cailey Mercredi didn’t expect to see her grandparents again in person this year because of COVID-19, but a recent change of rules made for a lovely family surprise.
Cailey Mercredi didn’t expect to see her grandparents again in person this year because of COVID-19.
Both in their 80s, Betty and Gavin Hollis live at Avens, a long-term care facility in Yellowknife. It and other long-term care homes in the Northwest Territories went into lockdown in March in response to the pandemic.
“It was certainly a huge hole missing in our lives to no longer have regular visits with them,” said Mercredi.
But to her surprise in early July, Mercredi found herself donning a blue surgical mask and eagerly signing into the home to meet her grandparents in person.
“I was a horse at the gates,” said Mercredi, who caught her grandfather’s eye through a crack in the door while she was getting screened.
“We just couldn’t stop looking at each other … I was ready to just jump through that door and share space with them.”
I really, really miss holding my little sister’s hand.— Patti-Kay Hamilton
In early July, most of the eight long-term care facilities in N.W.T. began offering in-person visits to essential visitors, such as family and close friends. Inuvik’s facility is still restricting visitations due to a possible case of chickenpox.
The easing of visitor restrictions began about two weeks following the territory’s transition into Phase 2 of its reopening plan. There have been five confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the N.W.T. — all travel related and recovered.
When Avens locked down in March, the staff quickly set up weekly virtual visits for the residents through social media apps.
Window visits followed in mid-June. Residents used walkie-talkies while gazing through a large glass door at their visitors.
Now, designated visitors can come inside or into the courtyard — provided they pass COVID-19 screening, and after temperature checks and hand sanitizing.
Only five essential guests are allowed in N.W.T. long-term care facilities at a time, according to the territory’s Health and Social Services Authority.
“Me and my daughter, we hugged and hugged and hugged,” said 79-year-old Eileen Beaudoin about reuniting with her daughter at Avens.
Months of not seeing her family was “terrible,” she said.
“I knows what they feels like in jail,” said Beaudoin. “You can’t touch them, you can’t hug them, you can’t do nothing.”
Richard Leblanc, 70, says he’s anxiously awaiting his in-pers