For the first time in over two months, personal care home (PCH) residents will see their loved ones in-person.

Starting June 1, Salem Home in Winkler is following the province's guidelines to allow essential visitors, someone defined as critical to the emotional well being and quality of life of a resident.

Salem Home CEO Sherry Janzen explains for many cases it will be a close family member, and even then they will be under a number of restrictions. Visitors are not allowed in the building, but they can book a 20-minute visit that will take place outside on the facility grounds. Visitors are capped at two people and the visits will take place between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m, Monday through Saturday.

"We have to clean everything in between, we can't just have the next set of visitors," Janzen explains, adding visitors are screened for symptoms, must adhere to physical distancing and hand hygiene, and won't be able to bring in food. If possible, residents are asked to bring their own lawn chairs.

While the parameters are narrow, Janzen says they need to start cautiously.

"We haven't had any COVID-19 cases in our PCH's... but there's a reason," Janzen says. "Our staff has been unbelievably careful of what they do outside of work, they don't want to be the ones bringing it into the building."

Janzen adds they understand the difficulty the quarantine has created for both residents and family members but says the stakes are too high to relax.

"Ultimately, our job is to protect the resident," Janzen says.

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