News + Events

Happening Today: Join Live-Stream to Call for Immediate Action on the Long-Term Care Crisis

(January 29, 2021) By: Sault Online OHC calling for immediate help for Ontario’s seniors. TORONTO, Jan. 29, 2021 – In the last week 207 residents and staff died as a result of COVID-19 in Ontario’s long-term care homes. More than one person in Ontario’s long-term care is dying per hour now. Care levels have declined […]

ONLINE PROTEST POINTS TO DEVASTATING NUMBERS AT ROBERTA PLACE IN BARRIE, ONT., IN CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

(January 29, 2021) By: Kim Phillips, 92.3 The Dock The management company of a Barrie long-term care home devastated by a COVID-19 outbreak has published an open letter after a report by Ontario’s ministry of long-term care revealed widespread violations. In the letter posted Friday, Jarlette Health Services president David Jarlette said that “despite proactive […]

Inspection reports from Hamilton’s biggest and deadliest COVID outbreak

(January 28, 2021) By: Joanna Frketich, The Hamilton Spectator / Maria Iqbal, The Hamilton Spectator Public health inspections revealed issues with Grace Villa’s staffing, cleaning and infection control during the city’s worst and deadliest outbreak of COVID-19. But ensuring residents had proper care was beyond the department’s scope, so public health services says it met […]

Ontario’s Care Crisis /w Natalie Mehra

(January 26, 2021) By: The Scarlet Standard In this episode we are joined by Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC). We discuss the ongoing crisis in Ontario’s private long term care system, the imminent need for paid sick days, and revisit the question of vaccine distribution. Unsurprisingly, we conclude that Doug […]

8 more deaths and 93 new cases reported in Niagara

(January 26, 2021) By: Allan Benner, St. Catharine’s Standard Niagara’s COVID-19 death toll continues to climb, as close to 100 more people were diagnosed with the virus Tuesday. Niagara Region Public Health reported eight more COVID-19 deaths Tuesday — following the deaths of at least 22 Niagara residents who were infected with the virus since […]

Experts’ Scathing Letter Decries ‘Humanitarian Crisis’ In Ontario Care Homes

(January 26, 2021) By: Emma Pauling, Huffpost Canada TORONTO — More than 200 doctors and researchers are calling for immediate action to quell COVID-19 outbreaks in Ontario’s nursing homes, describing current conditions as “a grave humanitarian crisis.” “We’re just so appalled by what’s going on,” Dr. Amit Arya, a palliative care physician who works in long-term care in the Greater […]

Families and groups call on Ford to act on Ontario’s long-term care COVID-19 crisis

(January 25, 2021) By: CanIndia News The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) says that 100 groups and families are speaking with one voice when they took issue with the Premier and Minister of Long-Term Care’s statements that “Everything is hunky dory here” (Premier Ford) and repeatedly, there are no long-term care homes with a staffing crisis […]

New outbreak at Juravinski Hospital as Hamilton reports two new COVID-19 deaths

(January 25, 2021) By: Maria Iqbal, Yahoo News A third Juravinski Hospital unit is in outbreak as the city reported two new COVID-19 deaths and 71 new cases on Friday. Public health reported two new COVID-19 deaths overall, but also increases to death tolls tied to ongoing outbreaks. One of the new deaths appears to […]

Ottawa police asking for help developing new mental health response strategy

(January 25, 2021) By: Josh Pringle, CTV News Ottawa OTTAWA — The Ottawa Police Service is setting up a “Guiding Council” to develop its new Mental Health Response Strategy. A report for Monday’s Ottawa Police Services Board meeting outlines plans to establish the arms-length council, made up of representatives from five community networks, to help […]

LEVY: Retirement homes cost residents a lot of money but have little oversight

(January 24, 2021) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun Pnina Ptasznik was horrified last April when she got on a Zoom call to find her 88-year-old mom staring into space with only “no, no, no” coming out of her mouth. Toronto’s L’Chaim Retirement Home was in a COVID outbreak at the time, but Freda Rosenblatt repeatedly […]

‘Fox guarding henhouse’; Retirement homes blasted on oversight

(January 24, 2021) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Ottawa Sun Pnina Ptasznik was horrified last April when she got on a Zoom call to find her 88-yearold mom staring into space with only “no, no, no” coming out of her mouth. Toronto’s L’Chaim Retirement Home was in a COVID-19 outbreak at the time, but Freda Rosenblatt repeatedly […]

EVENT: PROTEST: Ontario’s Long-Term Care Crisis

(January 25, 2021) Printable Save Our Seniors posters can be found below. To email your local MPP and Premier Doug Ford to take action now and Save our Seniors, click here. To view a recording of the live-stream protest on Facebook (no login required), click here. ———— PROTEST: ONTARIO’S LONG-TERM CARE CRISIS Join mass live-stream […]

RELEASE: Health Coalitions call for Federal Leadership to Defend Public Health Care

(January 25, 2021) (Ottawa) Seven health coalitions, representing concerned Canadians from PEI to British Columbia, are calling for stronger federal action on health care ahead of Monday’s opening of Parliament. Canada’s universal, public health care system requires federal vision and leadership. Health coalitions across Canada recognize the federal government’s extraordinary contribution of resources and support […]

Long-term care in crisis

(January 24, 2021) By: Jodi Lundmark, Chronicle Journal Debbie Shubat’s mother Amy is 92 years old and has dementia, and she’s a resident of Southbridge Roseview long-term care home. “I can’t stop thinking about her,” said Shubat during a virtual press conference held by the Ontario Health Coalition on Friday. “I dream about her and […]

Coalition of families, health-care organizations declare crisis in Ontario’s LTC homes

(January 23, 2021) By: Megan Delarie, Toronto.com Group says the reality of long-term care homes is not how the Ford government portrays it. A coalition of 100 health-care organizations and relatives of long-term care residents is accusing the provincial government of downplaying what it says is a deadly crisis in Ontario’s long-term care (LTC) homes. […]

LEVY: Upset families of LTC residences accuse province of not taking second wave seriously

(January 23, 2021) By: Donald Macdonald, Sudbury Star Jennifer Penny’s 81-year-old mom died of COVID-19 on Boxing Day, two days after staff at her Niagara Falls long-term care home claimed she was “doing well” despite testing positive for the virulent virus. In an emotional presentation to an Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) Zoom media conference — […]

Get vaccines to LTC homes: Advisory group

(January 23, 2021) By: Holly Mckenzie-Sutter, Brockville Recorder & Times TORONTO Refocusing Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout on longterm care residents would prevent 115 deaths and hundreds more cases by the end of March, according to projections from a team of experts advising the government on the pandemic. The report predicted that giving a first dose […]

Health Coalition calls for immediate action on ‘profound’ COVID-19 long-term care crisis

(January 23, 2021) By: Sydenham Current Staff, Sydenham Current The Ontario Health Coalition is calling for immediate action from the Province of Ontario to address the “profound” crisis impacting long-term care in Ontario, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During a press conference on Friday, Ontario Health Coalition officials said critical staffing and care shortages, unsafe conditions, […]

COVID-19 Update: Canada Considers Non-Essential Travel Ban; Homegrown Vaccine Begins Human Trial

(January 23, 2021) By: Megan DeLaire, YorkRegion.com A coalition of 100 health-care organizations and relatives of long-term care residents is accusing the provincial government of downplaying what it says is a deadly crisis in Ontario’s long-term care (LTC) homes. In a tearful Zoom teleconference on Jan. 22, three days after Premier Doug Ford said the […]

Woman “Devastated” By Impact On LTC Homes

(January 22, 2021) By: Colin Redston, Country1053.ca The daughter of a Southbridge Roseview resident is among those sharing painful stories of family members in long-term care homes during the second wave of the pandemic. Debbie Shubat spoke on a Zoom call Friday hosted by the Ontario Health Coalition featuring other relatives of residents, and representatives […]

Ontario Health Coalition says iron ring around long-term care is broken

(January 22, 2021) By: Doug Diaczuk, tbnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY – When Debbie Shubat learned her mother Amy contracted COVID-19 last November while living in Southbridge Roseview Manor, she was devastated and says she has been living in a nightmare ever since. “Every time I hear her, the little I do hear from her, and see […]

Coronavirus: Speed up vaccines to Ontario long-term care homes to prevent deaths and cases, experts say

(January 22, 2021) By: Holly McKenzie-Sutter, JumpRadio TORONTO — Refocusing Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout on long-term care residents would prevent 115 deaths and hundreds more cases by the end of March, according to projections from a team of experts advising the government on the pandemic. The report predicted that giving a first dose to all long-term care […]

‘My beautiful, precious mother deserves better’: Barrie woman wants long-term-care home changes

(January 22, 2021) By: Chris Simon, Simcoe.com Anna Tomlinson is worried for her mother’s safety. The Barrie woman hasn’t seen her mom, Gloria, in person for about a month. Gloria has late-stage dementia and is residing in a long-term-care facility within the city. When lockdown measures came into effect, Tomlinson and her sister were prohibited […]

Rick Mercer’s advice to young adults looking to hook up: Picture Doug Ford in your bedroom

(January 22, 2021) By: Rob Ferguson, CambridgeTimes.ca Facing continued resistance to stay-at-home orders, Ontario is turning to comedy in a new social media campaign aimed at getting the message across — including a plea for young adults not to “hook up” because of COVID-19. Doug Ford’s government has enlisted comedian Rick Mercer in a video rant where he makes […]

Feeling the pinch, Maxville Manor gets proactive

(January 21, 2021) By: Todd Hambleton, Cornwall Standard-Freeholder (Print edition) MAXVILLE Close to Highway 417 and just over a half hour from the Ottawa area, Maxville isn’t that far off the beaten path. And when it comes to Ontario’s long-term care personal support worker shortage, Maxville Manor is feeling the crunch – but so are […]

Ontario Health Coalition determined to hold Ford’s feet to the fire

(January 21, 2021) By: Renfrew Today The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) continues to push for better treatment of the Province’s seniors who reside in long-term care settings. The OHC disputes Premier Ford’s assessment that everything is “hunky-dory.” The coalition says that across the province, in outbreak or not, many long-term care homes have dangerously low […]

RELEASE: Ontario Long-Term Care COVID-19 Crisis: 100 Organizations Send Clear Message to Premier Ford, This is an Emergency, We Need Action Now

(January 22, 2021) Click here for printable version of the release found below. Click here for a video of the press conference. Toronto – 100 organizations representing more than one million families of loved ones in long-term care, residents, care workers, health professionals, advocacy groups, seniors’ groups and community groups held a press conference today […]

REPORT: Shocking Number of Long-Term Care Homes with Majority of Residents Infected – Data updated to January 19

(January 22, 2021) Click here for full version of the health care outbreaks report with a list of all outbreaks. A summary of the report can be found below. Having become alarmed at how many long-term care homes have COVID-19 outbreaks that are out of control in which a significant proportion of the residents have […]

REPORT: Wave 2 Continues to Devastate Long-Term Care, Far Surpassing the 1st Wave – Data updated to January 19

(January 22, 2021) Click here for full version of the health care outbreaks report with a list of all outbreaks. A summary of the report can be found below. The second wave of COVID-19 in Ontario’s long-term care homes has now far […]

A TRAGEDY THAT DIDN’T NEED TO HAPPEN

(January 21, 2021) By: Mary Catherine McCarthy & Margot Young, Our Times Part of the Sienna chain, the St. George Care Community LTC facility, in Toronto, has had one of the worst outbreaks in Ontario. The Sienna chain has also had some of the highest COVID numbers in Ottawa. PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY SEIU HEALTHCARE Residents, workers, […]

Whitby deals with new lockdown as businesses and individuals battle isolation

(January 20, 2021) By: Tim Kelly, DurhamRegion.com Whitby resident Lori Lopes, an active Facebook user and administrator of 581-member strong Whitby Voters Facebook page, knows the impact of a lockdown. Lopes, who is also a front-line health-care worker as a nurse, closely follows both health advice through the Ontario Hospital Association and also what her […]

Daughter shares heartbreaking LTC story

(January 20, 2021) By: Paul Pedro, BlackBurnNews.com A woman whose elderly father lives at Fairfield Park nursing home in Wallaceburg is calling for changes to the home’s staffing levels, which she says are not sufficient. Lucinda Allaer shared her experience during a Zoom meeting hosted by Chatham-Kent’s branch of the Ontario Health Coalition on Monday […]

Sudbury column: Give city executives chance to do the right thing

(January 20, 2021) By: Dot Klein, Sudbury Star Open letter to city council: Coun. Ward 11 Bill Leduc agreed to read this letter to you at the closed council meeting scheduled for Jan. 11. Earlier, I wrote an open letter to Mayor Brian Bigger requesting he sit down with both Ed Archer and Tony Cecutti […]

Waterloo Region pauses COVID-19 vaccine clinic amid supply shortage

(January 18, 2021) By: Katherine Hill, CTV News Kitchener KITCHENER — Region of Waterloo Public Health has paused its COVID-19 vaccine clinic due to a supply shortage. The clinic will pause until Jan. 24, the region said in a news release. Pfizer announced last week that it is retooling its production line so that it […]

Health Advocates Renew Calls For Better Care For Seniors

(January 18, 2021) By: CKXS.com A local woman is sharing her family’s story in hopes of getting the Ford Government to better protect those living in long term care through the pandemic. Lucinda Allaer’s father lives at Fairfield Park in Wallaceburg and says while she believes the staff do the best job they can with […]

Private virtual health services are booming in a ‘policy vacuum’

(January 17, 2021) By: Theresa Boyle, YorkRegion.com When over-the-counter medication failed to quell a sudden and intense allergic reaction, the Toronto senior turned to her computer in search of a remedy. A quick Google search brought her to the website of Maple Corp., one of the country’s largest providers of virtual health care. In no […]

‘Spreading further’: New COVID-19 outbreak in Burlington under investigation

(January 16, 2021) By: Louie Rosella, InsideHalton.com Halton Region on Jan. 15 is reporting an outbreak at The Williamsburg Retirement Home in Burlington. It was declared Jan. 13 and is affecting the “entire facility,” according to health officials. No cases have been identified as of yet but that is expected to change shortly, according to officials. This […]

Paid sick leave is a good idea whose time has come

(January 14, 2021) By: Karl Nerenberg, Rabble.ca The COVID-19 pandemic has made the idea of paid sick leave for all workers suddenly popular. When he was leader of the Ontario Conservative party, John Tory did not favour obliging employers to pay workers when they were sick. Now, as mayor of Toronto, Tory is all for […]

Ford government facing pressure to institute paid sick days in COVID-19 response

(January 13, 2021) By: Ricardo Veneza, CTV Windsor WINDSOR, ONT. — The Ontario government is facing continued pressure to reinstitute paid sick days in the province as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Wednesday, the Official Opposition at Queen’s Park renewed calls for the Doug Ford-led government for paid sick days to […]

Executive elitism carries a high price for St. Joe’s

January 13, 2021 By: Spectator Editorial, The Hamilton Spectator Credibility in the eyes of the public is hard won and easily lost. Speaking from inside an industry that has taken its fair share of tarnish — for reasons fair and unfair — we know this to be true. For public institutions, that cherished quality […]

RESOURCES: Briefing for Long-Term Care Families: Access for Visitors and Essential Caregivers

(January 14, 2021) A briefing for long-term care families about access to homes for visitors and essential caregivers took place on January 13, 2021. A video recording of the meeting can be found below and via the link here. Analysis Long-term care resources *Note: These resources are for long-term care only. For retirement home resources, […]

COVID-19 Outbreaks in Health Care Settings Threaten to Topple Devastating Records Set in the First Wave

(January 12, 2021) By: Lynne Brown, Sault Online The second wave of COVID-19 in long-term care has sharply escalated, today surpassing the peak of the first wave, and is spreading further across the province than the first wave. The Ontario Health Coalition released its latest tracking report covering the large outbreaks in health care […]

How does privilege work? In Ontario, politicians risked infamy for beaches while essential workers risked their lives to put food on the table

(January 12, 2021) By: Dr. Maria Daniel & Dr. Amanpreet Brar When people in power talk, the bare minimum is that they lead by example and walk the walk, instead of breaking the very rules they create for the rest of the public. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case, even with those who are supposed […]

Ontario long-term care homes need ‘immediate emergency intervention,’ advocates say

(January 12, 2021) By: CBC News Coalition demands province launch recruitment strategy right now to prevent more COVID-19 deaths. Long-term care homes in Ontario need “immediate emergency intervention with whatever resources are available” to prevent more deaths from COVID-19, advocates said on Tuesday. Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, a network […]

‘Current emergency’: New COVID-19 outbreak hits Burlington and triggers public health investigation

(January 12, 2021) By: Louie Rosella, Burlington Post Halton Public Health is investigating a new coronavirus outbreak in Burlington. Halton Region revealed today (Jan. 12) that an outbreak has been declared at Mount Nemo Christian long term care home in Burlington. So far, one person is infected and the outbreak, declared Jan. 10, is affecting the […]

Amberwood Outbreak Impacting 19 Residents, 3 Staff; Another 7 cases of COVID confirmed in Sudbury

(January 12, 2021) By: Jim Moodie, Sudbury Star (Print Edition) One-third of active COVID-19 cases in Sudbury and districts are related to an outbreak at a local retirement home. Public Health Sudbury and Districts confirmed Monday there are currently 22 cases associated with Amberwood Suites on Regent Street. Nineteen residents and three staff members […]

Health-care workers battled burnout before COVID-19 — now it’s even worse, experts warn

(January 12, 2021) By: Lauren Pelley, CBC News 78% of nurse respondents reported feelings of burnout, pre-pandemic survey found. While Lhamo Dolkar worked on the front lines as a registered nurse in the early months of the pandemic, her precautions after coming home from a shift were a stressful but necessary routine. First, the Whitby, […]

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie ‘wouldn’t hesitate’ to call in military if COVID-19 cases worsen at long-term-care homes

(January 11, 2021) By: Steve Cornwell, Mississauga News Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie is calling on senior levels of government to do more to bolster local long-term-care (LTC) homes, but said she’s not calling for military assistance just yet. Crombie made the call at a recent press conference, hours after the news of Maureen Ambersely’s death, a […]

Former hospital CEO to get more than $1M payout after losing job following Caribbean vacation

(January 11, 2021) By: Joanna Frketich, Cambridge Times Dr. Tom Stewart will get a payout as high as $1.1 million after losing his job as CEO of St. Joseph’s Health System over a Caribbean vacation. “For the staff and the community it feels like a slap in the face,” said Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario […]

LEVY: Second wave ignites ‘humanitarian crisis’ in long-term care homes

(January 11, 2021) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun It’s been like a runaway train in Ontario long-term care homes. Despite the numerous press conferences hosted by Premier Doug Ford and his senior ministers over the past few months promising changes to address the concerns raised by the Canadian military last May, the second wave has […]

NDP, Green Party leaders attend Toronto rally into long-term care home crisis

(January 10, 2021) By: Muriel Draaisma, CBC News Leaders of two federal political parties attended a rally outside a Toronto long-term care home on Sunday. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Green Party Leader Annamie Paul joined a crowd of demonstrators outside St. George Care Community, a for-profit facility operated by Sienna Senior Living. Both leaders called on the federal government to […]

Cedarvale Lodge gets Moderna vaccine as caregiver tests positive

(January 10, 2021) By: Mike Anderson, Georgina Post For Lisa Snow, the news that her mother Carolynn would be first-in-line for the Moderna vaccine at Cedarvale’s long-term care home brought more than a sense of relief; it brought an end to constant worry. “We lost my aunt to Covid at River Glenn, so for the […]

“Horror show” unfolding in long-term care: OHC

(January 10, 2021) By: CP24 OHC leader Natalie Mehra says the lack of care at some long-term care homes is leading residents to suffer from hunger and dehydration. Click here for original video

RELEASE: COVID-19 Outbreaks in Health Care Settings Threaten to Topple Devastating Records Set in the First Wave

(January 11, 2021) The second wave of COVID-19 in long-term care has sharply escalated, today surpassing the peak of the first wave, and is spreading further across the province than the first wave. The Ontario Health Coalition released its latest tracking report covering the large outbreaks in health care settings, including long-term care, hospitals and […]

‘Very disappointing’: Strong reaction to Paul Woods’s trips to U.S. during pandemic

(January 9, 2021) By: Andrew Lupton, CBC News LHSC boss had admonished staff for flouting rules, said they needed to set high standard Friday’s news that London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) CEO Paul Woods made five trips to visit family in the United States since March drew a swift and sharp reaction from a local […]

The Jamie West Show Interview With Natalie Mehra

(January 9, 2021) By: Jamie West, OMNY FM Natalie Mehra, executive director at the Ontario Health Coalition, and Jamie West discuss COVID-19 outbreaks and staffing issues at long-term care homes, and vaccine rollout plans. Click here for original interview (Interview with executive director Natalie Mehra begins at 11:45)

At-home learning for Ontario elementary students extended to Jan. 25

(January 8, 2021) By: John Schofield, The Lawyer’s Daily Ontario is extending remote learning for elementary school students in Southern Ontario until Jan. 25 and extending the public health lockdown in Northern Ontario to align with the lockdown in the province’s south. However, elementary and secondary school students in Northern Ontario’s seven public health unit […]

Health Coalition calls for stronger measures to control COVID-19 across Ontario

(January 8, 2021) By: Sydenham Current Calling COVID-19 a “crisis situation”, the Ontario Health Coalition is calling for stronger measures and stronger supports for people impacted. “(Thursday, January 7, 2021 was) the deadliest day of the pandemic so far, 89 people died in the last 24-hour period,” Health Coalition officials said in a press release […]

COVID-19 : Coalition Santé Ontario inquiet pour la santé des préposés et des patients dans les foyers de longue durée

(January 8, 2021) By: CHOQ FM Le 7 janvier 2020 – À Scarborough, Tendercare Living Centre, un foyer des soins de longue durée, compte à ce jour 64 morts alors que le coronavirus continue à se répandre rapidement parmi les patients et les préposés. Selon Radio-Canada, la Coalition Santé Ontario, un réseau qui rassemble plus […]

COVID-19 Crisis Situation In Ontario: Deadliest Day of the Pandemic

(January 8, 2021) By: The Bullet January 7th is the deadliest day of the pandemic so far, 89 people died in the last 24-hour period. By every measure the situation is critical, and there can be no question remaining that stronger measures are needed to control the devastation the virus is wreaking. At the same time, stronger […]

Thunder Bay MPPs speak out on Southbridge Roseview situation

(January 6, 2021) By: Gary Rinne, TBNewsWatch Michael Gravelle and Judith Monteith-Farrell cite pandemic preparedness and communications issues. THUNDER BAY — Thunder Bay’s two MPPs say they received “heartbreaking” pleas for help from the families of residents of the Southbridge Roseview long-term care home, where COVID-19 has claimed 20 lives to date. Thunder Bay-Superior North Liberal MPP Michael […]

RELEASE: Emergency: COVID-19 Crisis Situation In Ontario Requires Stronger Measures AND Stronger Supports for People Impacted, Today is Deadliest Day of Pandemic So Far

(January 7, 2021) Toronto – Today is the deadliest day of the pandemic so far, 89 people died in the last 24-hour period. By every measure the situation is critical, warns the Ontario Health Coalition, and there can be no question remaining that stronger measures are needed to control the devastation the virus is wreaking. […]

Long-Term Care Outbreaks Worsen

(January 5, 2021) By: Tara Losinski AND Peter Muggeridge Ontario is reporting 35 new deaths in long-term care and a record number of nursing homes are experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19. Today, provincial data shows that that 219 homes are dealing with an outbreak, smashing the mark of 190 set during the first wave. This means that over […]

NDP calling for more transparency on COVID-19 cases in the workplace

(January 5, 2021) By: Sudbury Star Ontario’s NDP is picking up on a suggestion that the Ontario Health Coalition made in November — that the public should be made aware when there is COVID-19 in the workplace. NDP’s Workplace Health and Safety critic Wayne Gates, along with NDP leader Andrea Horwath, are calling on the […]

Death toll from COVID-19 in Ontario long-term care homes continues to rise

(January 5, 2021) By: Morganne Campbell, Global News Nearly one third of Ontario’s LTC homes are battling a COVID-19 outbreak as families and advocates continue to call for more assistance. Morganne Campbell reports. Click here for original video

PM offers ‘targeted help’ to deal with COVID-19 outbreaks in Ont. long-term care homes

(Tuesday, January 5 2021) By: Codi Wilson, CP24 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government has reached out to the province to offer “targeted help” to bring COVID-19 outbreaks in Ontario long-term care homes under control. Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, the prime minister said military deployments, enhanced testing, and isolation […]

COVID-19 Update: Singh Urges Trudeau to Fix Long-Term Care; New Poll Blasts Federal Vax Rollout

(January 5, 2021) By: Tara Losinski and Peter Muggeridge, Zoomer Long-Term Care Outbreaks Worsen Ontario is reporting 35 new deaths in long-term care and a record number of nursing homes are experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19. Today, provincial data shows that that 219 homes are dealing with an outbreak, smashing the mark of 190 set during the first […]

Sudbury mayor, administrators failing to lead

(January 5, 2021) By: Dot Klein, Sudbury Star (Print Edition) Dear Mayor Brian Bigger: I am not going to argue with you on the appropriateness of the discipline measures you applied to Ed Archer, chief administrative officer for the City of Greater Sudbury, when he made derogatory remarks about Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier. I […]

Health authorities to identify workplaces with significant COVID-19 outbreaks

(January 4, 2021) By: Sara Mojtehedzadeh, St. Catharines Standard Toronto health authorities will begin naming employers with significant COVID-19 outbreaks, following long-standing concerns about the lack of public reporting on essential workplaces struck by the virus. After months of demands from worker advocates, as well as the city’s own board of health, details on outbreaks […]

RENEWED CALL FOR MILITARY SUPPORT AND RED CROSS SUPPORT IN WINDSOR-ESSEX

(January 4, 2021) By: Rob Hindi, AM800 CKLW Tracey Ramsey speaks to the media, July 9, 2018. (Photo by AM800’s Kristylee Varley) The co-chair of the Windsor Health Coalition says the region is devastated by the loss of a local health care worker. Tracey Ramsey says Sheila Yakovishin was a Unifor member who spent more […]

Executive director Natalie Mehra interview with Matt Holmes of Newstalk 610 CKTB

(January 3, 2021) By: Matt Holmes, Newstalk 610 CKTB Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra speaks with Matt Holmes to discuss the long-term care crisis and the need for military intervention to help the long-term care homes in crisis. Link to the interview

Ontario sees 5,839 new cases of COVID-19 and 95 deaths over 2 days

(January 2, 2021) By: CBC News Province broke another single-day record on Saturday with 3,363 new COVID-19 cases. Ontario is reporting a two-day total of 5,839 new cases of COVID-19 and 95 additional deaths. Ontario’s health ministry did not release COVID-19 daily figures on New Year’s Day. The province saw 2,476 cases on Friday and 3,363 cases on Saturday. […]

GROUP CALLS FOR MILITARY INTERVENTION IN ONTARIO LONG-TERM CARE HOMES

(January 2, 2021) By: Staff, The Canadian Press People protest outside the Tendercare Living Centre long-term-care facility during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scarborough, Ont., on Tuesday, December 29, 2020. This LTC home has been hit hard by the coronavirus during the second wave. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette A non-profit that represents health-care professionals and patients […]

ONTARIO HEALTH COALITION ASKING FOR MILITARY ASSISTANCE AT RAVAGED LONG-TERM CARE HOMES

(January 2, 2021) By: Newstalk 1010 – iHeartRadio A non-profit that represents health-care professionals and patients is calling for military intervention in Ontario’s long-term care homes to help control outbreaks of COVID-19. The executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition says redeploying the Canadian Armed Forces to the hard-hit facilities is not the group’s first […]

Ontario Health Coalition calling for another military intervention in pandemic-stricken long-term care homes

(January 2, 2021) By: Staff at Durham Radio News A health advocacy group in Ontario is calling for the armed forces to once again intervene in the long-term care crisis. The Ontario Health Coalition, which represents patients and health-care workers, says that while it isn’t their first choice, there aren’t many options while the outbreaks […]

Public workers urge Ford government to send in the military to help with growing long-term care COVID outbreak nightmare

(January 2, 2021) By: Rhythm Sachdeva, St. Catharines Standard It’s time for the Ontario government to send the military into long-term-care homes, the Canadian Union of Public Employees says. With growing COVID-19 outbreaks in the province’s care homes, “We are tragically losing the battle to protect long-term care residents,” CUPE Ontario secretary-treasurer Candace Rennick said […]

DEATH TOLL AT SCARBOROUGH LONG-TERM CARE HOME WITH COVID-19 OUTBREAK CLIMBS TO 60

(January 2, 2021) By: Bryann Aguilar, Newstalk 610 CKTB – iHeartRadio The death toll at a Scarborough long-term care home experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19 has climbed to 60 as eight more residents have died. North York General Hospital, which took over the management of Tendercare Living Centre in December, updated the number of fatalities […]

Scores of people protest conditions at Tendercare after 60 deaths due to COVID-19

(January 2, 2021) By: Muriel Draaisma, CBC News Protesters call on province to take further action as Scarborough home battles outbreak Maureen McDermott, a protester, wondered aloud at the rally how many people have to die before Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton bring in the Canadian Armed Forces. (Keith Burgess/CBC) Scores […]

ONTARIO HEALTH COALITION CALLS FOR MILITARY INTERVENTION AT LONG-TERM CARE HOMES BATTLING OUTBREAKS

(January 2, 2021) By: Heather Seaman, Newstalk 1010 – iHeartRadio The Ontario Health Coalition, a non-profit that represents health-care professionals and patients, is calling on the government to redeploy the Canadian Armed Forces to help contain outbreaks at hard-hit long-term care homes across the province, struggling to contain COVID-19 outbreaks. One of the biggest outbreaks […]

Today’s coronavirus news: Former talk show host Larry King hospitalized with COVID-19 in Los Angeles; Ontario reports two-day total of 5,839 COVID cases, 95 deaths

(January 2, 2021) By: Star Staff, Toronto Star 6:56 p.m.: Former talk show host Larry King is reportedly hospitalized with COVID-19 in Los Angeles. King, 87, is being treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, ABC News reported Saturday. The Brooklyn born King hosted “Larry King Live” on CNN from 1985 to 2010 and more recently, helmed “Larry […]

These numbers reveal a worrying trend in Ontario long-term-care home deaths

(January 1, 2021) By: Jenna Moon & Andrew Bailey, Toronto Star Without immediate action and extra interventions to protect residents of Ontario’s long-term-care homes, the next few weeks could mean disaster, experts warn. An analysis by the Star of the number of deaths in Ontario’s long-term-care homes is already showing a worrying trend. The data […]

York Region medical officer of health steps in after COVID-19 outbreak at Villa Leonardo Gambin

(January 1, 2021) By: Rosie DiManno, St. Catharines Standard The associate director of care at Villa Leonardo Gambin gets out a curt “no comment’’ and hangs up the phone. The chief administrator at Villa Leonardo Gambin didn’t answer her phone — although she was definitely there on New Year’s Day — or respond to phone […]

Coronavirus: Military intervention needed at Ontario long-term care homes, group says

(January 1, 2021) By: Global News Staff, Global News A non-profit that represents health-care professionals and patients is calling for military intervention in Ontario’s long-term care homes to help control outbreaks of COVID-19. The executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition says redeploying the Canadian Armed Forces to the hard-hit facilities is not the group’s first […]

York Region medical officer of health steps in after COVID-19 outbreak at Villa Leonardo Gambin

( January 1, 2021) By: Rosie DiManno, Toronto Star The associate director of care at Villa Leonardo Gambin gets out a curt “no comment’’ and hangs up the phone. The chief administrator at Villa Leonardo Gambin didn’t answer her phone — although she was definitely there on New Year’s Day — or respond to phone […]

At the end of 2020, we’re looking back at some of the Hamilton pandemic stories that made headlines in 2020. HAMILTON REGION A year of uncertainty: How COVID-19 unravelled in Hamilton in 2020

(December 30, 2020) By: Jennifer Moore, The Hamilton Spectator The pandemic of 2020. Hamilton residents are quickly wrapping up a year of uncertainty with more uncertainty. Rumours began early in the new year about a deadly virus coming out of China. The first hint of the coming world crisis began in earnest with contaminated cruise […]

Province needs to call in the military again to help Ontario’s long-term-care homes, says health coalition head

(December 30, 2020) By: Jeremy Nuttall, St. Catharines Standard Measures taken to protect those in Ontario’s long-term-care homes have been a failure and the military should once again be sent into the facilities, says the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. Natalie Mehra said, as the second wave of COVID-19 continues to ravage Ontario, the conditions […]

Province needs to call in the military again to help Ontario’s long-term-care homes, says health coalition head

(December 30, 2020) By: Jeremy Nuttall, Toronto Star Measures taken to protect those in Ontario’s long-term-care homes have been a failure and the military should once again be sent into the facilities, says the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. Natalie Mehra said, as the second wave of COVID-19 continues to ravage Ontario, the conditions inside […]

Backlash after Ontario scales back COVID-19 vaccinations over Christmas holidays

(December 29, 2020) By: Bill Kelly and Dr. Amit Arya Dr. Amit Arya is a palliative care physician who works in long-term care facilities and is an Ontario Health Coalition board member Only five of a possible 17 vaccination clinics across Ontario were in operation over the Christmas holidays as staffing challenges forced the province […]

As doctors who work in long-term care homes and serve marginalized populations, we believe it’s well past time to end for-profit long-term care

(December 29, 2020) By: Dr. Amit Arya, Dr. Naheed Dosani, Dr. Silvy Mathew and Dr. Andrew Boozary, Toronto Star Dr. Amit Arya is a palliative care physician who works in long-term care facilities and is an Ontario Health Coalition board member We’re almost a year into this pandemic and the inhumane horror in long-term care […]

Long-Term Care Is ‘Dangerous.’ What’s Ontario’s Plan For Alternatives?

(December 25, 2020) By: Sherina Harris, HuffPost Canadians want to age at home. Will the pandemic help them get support? Every night for the last five months, Robin Nelson has laid down to sleep beside her mom Ann’s hospital bed, on the couch in her living room. In August, Ann was sent to hospital — […]

Ontario nursing home battling COVID-19 outbreak

(December 24, 2020) By: Dr. Amit Arya, CBC News Dr. Amit Arya is a palliative care physician who works in long-term care facilities and is an Ontario Health Coalition board member Doctors are sounding the alarm over an outbreak in an Ontario nursing home. Tendercare Nursing Home in Scarborough is reporting 158 active cases of […]

‘A preventable tragedy:’ Palliative care doctor Dr. Amit Arya says we’ve failed Long-term care residents

(December 24, 2020) By: Ismaila Alfa and Dr. Amit Arya, Metro Morning with Ismaila Alfa Dr. Amit Arya is a palliative care physician who works in long-term care facilities and is an Ontario Health Coalition board member Click here for interview

What Doug Ford Has (And Hasn’t) Done Since ‘Horrific’ Military Report On Nursing Homes

(December 23, 2020) By: Emma Paling, HuffPost The premier’s tears didn’t translate into action, families and experts say. Ontario Premier Doug Ford fights back tears as he answers question about a disturbing report from the Canadian military regarding five Ontario long-term-care homes in Toronto on May 26, 2020. TORONTO — Seven months have passed since […]

Ontario locks down on Boxing Day, but essential workers still work. Without protections like paid sick leave, it just won’t work

(December 23, 2020) By: Sabina Vohra, Dr. Naheed Dosani, Dr. Seema Marwaha and Semir Bulle When the province-wide lockdown starts on Boxing Day, Ontario’s essential workers will still be going to work. In truth, they will be going into work so the rest of us can stay home. They need to be protected. But what […]

Ontario’s Lockdown Ignores Workplaces Hard Hit by COVID Outbreaks

(December 23, 2020) By: Anya Zoledziowski, Vice World News Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s attempts to temper the concerning rise in COVID-19 infections don’t go far enough, experts say, because he hasn’t mandated paid sick leave for workers, and essential workplaces seeing outbreaks—including warehouses and food processing plants—will continue to operate without further restrictions. Ford announced […]

Hamilton breaks new record in active COVID cases

(December 22, 2020) By: Maria Iqbal, The Hamilton Spectator Hamilton reported a record number of active cases and three new deaths Tuesday. The city has 101 new cases, with active cases jumping to 992, an increase of 41 from the previous day. The previous record was 979 active cases, reported Dec. 20. All numbers are as of 3 p.m. the […]

How did all of this happen again?

(December 22, 2020) By: Anne Jarvis, Windsor Star (Print Edition) What happened at The Village at St. Clair long-term care home in Windsor? How did the novel coronavirus spread to so many residents and staff so fast? The outbreak was first reported Dec. 8. A week later, 89 residents and staff had been infected. By […]

LONG TERM CARE FACILITY COVID-19 OUTBREAKS OUT OF CONTROL

(December 21, 2020) By: Matt Holmes, Newstalk 610 CKTB Matt Holmes Speaks with Natalie Mehra – Executive Director Ontario Health Coalition regarding long term care facility outbreaks now out of control Link to the interview

‘Darker shade of grey’; Top doc dour while Ford says T.O., Peel staying in lockdown

(December 19, 2020) By: Antonella Artuso, Toronto Sun (Print Edition) Ontario is keeping all existing lockdowns in place and adding Hamilton to the grey zone. “After assessing trends in key public health indicators, Peel Public Health and Toronto Public Health will remain in the grey-lockdown level to be reassessed on Jan. 4, 2021,” a government […]

Fullerton Monitoring Roseview Outbreak

(December 18, 2020) By: Colin Redston, Country 105 The province is keeping a close watch on the COVID-19 outbreak at Southbridge Roseview that’s taken twelve lives. Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton they’re staying on top of the situation at the Thunder Bay home, as they do with all outbreaks. “We touch base daily with the […]

Grip of coronavirus tightens at city long-term care facility; At least two residents dead, 105 cases confirmed at The Village at St. Clair

(December 18, 2020) By: Dalson Chen, Windsor Star (Print Edition) The coronavirus situation at The Village at St. Clair – a Windsor long-term care facility under the Schlegel Villages corporation – has worsened with the deaths of at least two residents and the number of cases at the site entering the triple digits. A letter […]

More than 400 COVID-19 cases at Amazon warehouses in Ontario amid concern over industrial spread of virus

(December 18, 2020) By: Brodie Thomas, Calgary Herald Amazon distribution facilities around Canada’s biggest airport have seen more than 400 COVID-19 cases, a source said Thursday, as concern mounts about the virus’s spread in industrial workplaces that face few government restrictions. Many municipalities in Ontario are now under sweeping lockdowns to try to curb the […]

Union representing staff at Hamilton’s Grace Villa describes ‘horrible’ outbreak

(December 18, 2020) By: Ken Mann, 900 CHML Global News 21 residents of Grace Villa have died of COVID-19, since an outbreak was declared Nov 25. A union representative for long-term care workers at Grace Villa — the site of Hamilton’s deadliest COVID-19 outbreak — has offered a glimpse inside the embattled home. Ricardo McKenzie with the Service […]

Lockdown in Toronto, Peel to continue past Monday: Ford

(December 18, 2020) By: Antonella Artuso, canoe.com Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer (centre) Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott attend a news conference at the Ontario Legislature in Toronto on Wednesday November 25, 2020. PHOTO BY CHRIS YOUNG /THE CANADIAN PRESS Ontario is keeping all existing lockdowns in place and adding Hamilton to […]

Survey details ‘horrific’ conditions in Ontario long-term care homes

(December 18, 2020) By: Doug Diaczuk, tbnewswatch.com A survey by the Ontario Health Coalition of staff in long-term care facilities experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19, including one in Thunder Bay, details how staffing shortages are resulting in horrific conditions inside. THUNDER BAY – From empty hallways, inadequate personal protective equipment, to a lack of cleaning, […]

Understanding the Ontario Health Coalition’s report on the COVID-19 crisis in Long-Term Care Homes

(December 18, 2020) By: London Live with Mike Stubbs, Global News Radio The Ontario Health Coalition released a report that details the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in the province’s long-term care homes. The report looks at current conditions in long-term care, where we are at in the second wave compared to the first, and the alarming […]

COVID-19 outbreak at Windsor long-term care home worsens with more cases, more deaths

(December 18, 2020) By: Dalson Chen, Windsor Star The novel coronavirus situation at The Village at St. Clair — a Windsor long-term care facility under the Schlegel Villages corporation — has worsened with the deaths of at least two residents and the number of cases at the site entering the triple digits. A letter circulated […]

Ontario sees second day of record new COVID-19 cases

(December 17, 2020) By: Antonella Artuso, Toronto Sun Ontario reported 2,000-plus more COVID-19 cases for the second day in a row. As Toronto Mayor John Tory urged the public to stay home for the holidays, the city confirmed 780 new cases Wednesday. A spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford’s office would only say the government intends […]

Local MPPs want more help for long-term care home outbreak

(December 17, 2020) By: Alana Hadadean, CTV News Windsor The Village at St. Clair in Windsor, Ont. (Courtesy The Village at St. Clair / Facebook) WINDSOR, ONT — Windsor NDP MPPs are sounding the alarm for the provincial government to step in and take action to protect residents and healthcare workers. “This is a crisis […]

Three residents of Schlegel Villages die due to COVID-19 outbreak

(December 17, 2020) By: Staff, CTV News Windsor WINDSOR, ONT. — Three residents at The Village at St. Clair have passed away from COVID-19 following an outbreak at the long-term care facility. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit said Thursday that three residents from the same long-term care home have died – a man in his […]

Report Calls For LTC Staffing Reform

(December 17, 2020) By: Vic Krasowski, Country 105 The National Guard / CC A scathing report from the Ontario Health Coalition on the state of long-term care homes and the pandemic. It examined the situation at the homes since the second wave of COVID-19 began. Coalition Executive Director Natalie Mehra says the report shows over 700 people […]

Ontario’s Long-Term Care Interventions Came ‘Perilously Late’: Report

(December 17, 2020) By: Sherina Harris, HuffPost Fifty crosses have appeared on the side lawn of the Camilla Care Community nursing home in Mississauga, Ont. on May 10, 2020. The Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care acted “perilously late” and “underused” its powers to mandate takeovers of long-term care homes during the pandemic, according to a new report. As […]

Government must invest in long-term care, including rigorous inspections

(December 17, 2020) By: Keith Leslie, The Hamilton Spectator The Ontario government should be ashamed that the second wave of COVID-19 has been even more devastating than the first in long-term-care homes, especially after Premier Doug Ford promised an “iron ring of protection” for 70,000 vulnerable citizens. So far, 2,400 long-term-care residents and eight staff […]

Long Term Care Homes Continue to Struggle During the Second Wave of COVID-19

(December 17, 2020) By: 104.7 Heart FM The Ontario Health Coalition has released a 66 page report outlining why long term care homes continue to be the hardest hit during the second wave of COVID-19. ONTARIO – In the past 24 hours alone, 18 residents of Long Term Care homes in Ontario have died and […]

Doug Ford commits up to $1.9 billion a year to give nursing-home residents more hands-on care

(December 17, 2020) By: Rob Ferguson, Queen’s Park Bureau Ontario has put a price tag on its promise to dramatically improve staffing in nursing homes so residents can get an average of four hours daily hands-on care by 2025, but critics say most people now in long-term care won’t live to see it. In a […]

REPORT: COVID-19 Second Wave Survey of Staff in Long-Term Care Homes with Large Outbreaks

(December 18, 2020) The Ontario Health Coalition had been conducting surveys of front-line staff in homes with large outbreaks (more than 10 staff and/or residents infected) across Ontario from mid-November to December of 2020. We have collected 88 surveys filled in by long-term care staff who work in dozens of different long-term care homes that […]

Unifor, others call for action after home outbreak

(December 16, 2020) By: Mark Brown, blackburnnews.com The Village At St. Clair, July 25, 2014, three days before it officially opens. (photo by Mike Vlasveld) Opposition MPPs have joined union and health representatives in calling on the government to protect health care workers. In the wake of a major outbreak at the Village of St. […]

RELEASE: Health Coalition Disappointed with Ford Government’s Staffing Report Announcement: No Recruitment Drive Announced, Timelines for Staffing Improvements Mean Slight Improvements Year After Next

(December 17, 2020) Toronto – As more and more long-term care homes fall into dire staffing crises, the Ontario Health Coalition expressed its anger and disappointment with the government’s staffing report released today. “We expected that they would launch a recruitment drive right now because long-term care is in the worst crisis it has ever […]

COVID-19 outbreaks spread at Victoria Hospital in London, Ont.

(December 16, 2020) By: Kate Dubinski, CBC News The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) has declared one new outbreak at Victoria Hospital Wednesday but has yet to comment about how many patients or staff members are involved. Level Two outbreaks were declared in the sub-acute medicine unit and the short term admissions unit in the […]

RELEASE & REPORT: A Call to Conscience: New Report on the COVID-19 Crisis in Long-Term Care in Wave 2 Reveals Huge Gaps in Ford Government’s Response

(December 17, 2020) Click here for full report Click here for slideshow with a quick sample of just a few of the exploding outbreaks in long-term care Click here for printable version of media release Media Release Coalition Calls for Urgent Improvements as Staffing and Care is Collapsing & Large Outbreaks Spread Toronto – In […]

Here’s what COVID-19 has taught us over the past year

(December 15, 2020) By: Veronica Appia, toronto.com Back in March, Ontarians were getting fined for sitting on park benches — alone. Patients were being denied masks at their local health clinics and hospitals. People were going around calling the virus “the great equalizer.” Now, nine months later, much of what experts and citizens thought they […]

RELEASE & REPORT: Updated Report on the Spread of COVID-19 in Non-Health Care Workplaces Shows Huge Growth in Manufacturing, Schools, Construction and Retail

(December 15, 2020) Toronto– It is evident that the “lockdowns” in hotspots and measures in most Public Health Unit regions have been inadequate to stem the spread of COVID-19 and the numbers are alarming, according to a new tracking report released today by the Ontario Health Coalition here: https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/index.php/report-covid-19-outbreaks-in-non-healthcare-settings-data-updated-to-december-2/ The numbers released by Public Health Ontario […]

Today’s coronavirus news: Trudeau announces first batches of COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Canada; Five TDSB schools to close Monday; Ontario reports 1,677 new COVID-19 cases, 16 deaths

(December 13, 2020) By: Staff, Toronto Star 7:58 p.m. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to Twitter Sunday evening to announce that the first batch Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines had arrived in Canada. “This is good news. But our fight against COVID-19 is not over. Now more than ever, let’s keep up our vigilance,” tweeted Trudeau. Ontario is expected […]

Newest data shows 7 ‘large outbreaks’ at Peel long-term-care and retirement homes

(December 11, 2020) By: Sabrina Gamrot, Caledon Enterprise Large outbreaks described as more than 10 people testing positive The newest data from the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) found seven long-term-care and retirement homes in the region are battling “large outbreaks,” where more than 10 people have tested positive for COVID-19. The largest outbreak has been reported at Tyndall […]

‘Not good enough’: Ford gov’t increasing LTC care standards, but not until 2024-25

(December 10, 2020) By: Colleen Romaniuk, sudbury.com Despite the Ford government’s recent attempts to increase standards of care in Ontario’s long-term care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, a co-chair of Pioneer Manor’s Family Council said that while it’s nice, it’s too little too late. “The announcement about increasing personal care to four hours per day […]

Pfizer vaccine to be given at delivery sites, not LTC homes; Interview with executive director Natalie Mehra

(December 9, 2020) By: Bill Kelly Show, Global News Radio 900 CHML Hospitals, not LTC homes, are among 1st sites to give Canada’s coronavirus vaccines. ALSO: Why are homes not accountable for proper infection prevention & control 9 months into a pandemic? Link to the interview (Natalie’s interview begins at the 37 minute mark):

RELEASE: Health Coalitions Call for Increased Federal Health Care Funding and Accountability

(December 10, 2020) Ottawa, December 10, 2020- Canada’s premiers are meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to request an increase to federal funding for health care. Health coalitions from across the country support the call for a long-term increase to the Canada Health Transfer (CHT). This funding must be accompanied by a robust accountability framework […]

GTA seniors homes ravaged by COVID

(December 7, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun Crosses erected outside Camilla Care Community long-term care home representing the residents who have died from COVID-19, during a hunger strike by Innis Ingram May 28, 2020. PHOTO BY JACK BOLAND /Toronto Sun Seniors homes continue to be hard hit during COVID’s second wave with cases that are spreading […]

LEVY: LTC Commission issues stern rebuke to province and home operators

(December 5, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Simcoe Reformer A body is removed from the Eatonville Care Centre long-term facility in Etobicoke which has experienced a COVID-19 outbreak. PHOTO BY JACK BOLAND /Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network It is to say the least unconscionable. The Ontario government and some long-term care home operators have learned so little, or worse, nothing, […]

Drop in home inspections left gaps; Long-term care residents were vulnerable going into pandemic, commission finds

(December 5, 2020) By: Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen (Print Edition) A steep drop in comprehensive inspections at long-term care homes left gaps in knowledge about infection control and emergency preparedness leading up to the pandemic, Ontario’s Long-Term Care Commission said Friday. The commission recommended the Ministry of Long-Term Care reintroduce annual Resident Quality Inspections for […]

London-area schools pass early COVID tests with flying colours

(December 5, 2020) By: Heather Rivers, Grande Prairie Daily Herald Tribune Madame Trinka Psellas instructs her grade one students to put up their airplane wings to ensure they are socially distanced while lining up to enter Louise Arbour French Immersion Public School after morning recess in London, Ont. on Thursday December 3, 2020. (Derek Ruttan/The […]

LEVY: LTC Commission issues stern rebuke to province and home operators

(December 5, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun It is to say the least unconscionable. The Ontario government and some long-term care home operators have learned so little, or worse, nothing, from the first wave of COVID that their own appointed LTC commission came out with a sternly worded letter Friday rebuking all parties involved […]

Ontario long-term care homes need stricter enforcement, more inspections

(December 4, 2020) By: Clarrie Feinstein, Daily Hive News CAF member in a long-term care facility. (Canadian Armed Forces/Twitter) Ontario’s long-term care homes have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and need continued care amid the second wave. The province’s commission on the facilities was released on Friday, highlighting various recommendations to improve the quality of […]

Commission flags poor oversight of Ontario nursing homes as COVID deaths jump

(December 4, 2020) By: Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press TORONTO — Effective inspections and management are crucial in the battle to stop the grim march of COVID-19 infections and untimely deaths in Ontario’s long-term care homes, a commission delving into the situation reported on Friday. The interim report — which comes as cases surge across […]

Ontario’s long-term care spending too little, too late?; Sudbury critics say the Ford government’s ‘piecemeal’ approach will not raise standards of care right now

(December 4, 2020) By: Colleen Romaniuk, Sudbury Star (Print Edition) Despite the Ford government’s recent attempts to increase standards of care in Ontario’s long-term care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, a co-chair of Pioneer Manor’s Family Council said that while it’s nice, it’s too little too late. “The announcement about increasing personal care to four […]

RELEASE: Health Coalition Applauds Excellent Recommendations Released by Long-Term Care Commission Today: Calls on Ford Government to Implement Them Immediately

(December 4, 2020) Toronto – The second set of recommendations from Ontario’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission were released today (here: http://www.ltccommission-commissionsld.ca/). The Commission continues to do excellent work and the Ontario Health Coalition said it is fully in support of the recommendations which focus on restoring comprehensive inspections in all LTC homes, improving compliance and […]

How Can I Help? Addressing The Effects Of Loneliness And Social Distancing For Seniors

(December 2, 2020) By: Emily Sarmento, The Organization for World Peace A few days ago, as I was working at my part-time job at a local hardware store, I noticed one customer had dropped her keys fumbling with her things. At first, I hesitated, and then went to help her. But as I bent down […]

RELEASE: By No Measure are they Under Control: Large Outbreaks of COVID-19 in Long-Term Care, Hospitals, Retirement Homes Escalating Sharply- New Tracking Report

(December 3, 2020) Toronto — The number of large COVID-19 outbreaks in health care settings is escalating sharply reports the Ontario Health Coalition. Despite the rhetoric by political leaders minimizing the spread of COVID-19 in recent weeks, the Coalition’s new tracking report shows alarming numbers infected in the spread of the virus through large outbreaks […]

Gotta get answers; Preem scrambling for delivery info from vaccine manufacturers

(December 1, 2020) By: Antonella Artuso, Toronto Sun (Print Edition) Premier Doug Ford reached out to COVID-19 vaccine developers Monday in an attempt to nail down a delivery date. “I have to get answers,” Ford said. “I’ve been asking the federal government – we need to know when we’re getting it, how much we’re getting […]

Cancer patient ‘terrified’ after COVID-19 exposure at Ottawa Hospital

(November 30, 2020) By: Hillary Johnstone, CBC News OPH declared outbreak in ward 5E of The Ottawa Hospital’s General campus Nov. 26 Adrian Lloyd is battling pancreatic cancer. He’s now in isolation after another patient in his shared room at the General campus of The Ottawa Hospital tested positive for COVID-19. (Submitted by Adrian Lloyd) An […]

Ford looking for COVID vaccine delivery date

(November 30, 2020) By: Antonella Artuso, Owen Sound Sun Times Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott listen as they are briefed on Covid-19 Rapid Test Device kits at Humber River Hospital in Toronto on Nov. 24, 2020. PHOTO BY FRANK GUNN /THE CANADIAN PRESS Premier Doug Ford reached out to COVID-19 vaccine developers Monday […]

Un patient d’Ottawa atteint du cancer « terrifié » après avoir été exposé à la COVID-19

(November 30, 2020) By: Radio-Canada Adrian Lloyd, 52 ans, est atteint d’un cancer du pancréas de stade quatre. Il a récemment craint pour sa vie quand on lui a annoncé qu’il avait partagé des lieux avec des personnes déclarées positives à la COVID-19, alors qu’il séjournait à l’Hôpital d’Ottawa. Un homme d’Ottawa atteint d’un cancer […]

Ontario PCs Have Raked In $30K From Big Nursing Home Lobbyists

(November 30, 2020) By: Emma Paling, HuffPost FRANK GUNN/CANADIAN PRESS Ontario Premier Doug Ford answers questions during a briefing at Humber River Hospital in Toronto on Nov. 24, 2020. TORONTO — Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative party has received at least $30,833 in donations from lobbyists hired by the private nursing home industry, a HuffPost Canada analysis has found. […]

RELEASE & REPORT: Updated Report on the Spread of COVID-19 in Workplaces (excluding Health Care) and Schools Shows Huge Growth in Schools, Construction, Retail/Restaurants/Entertainment and Public Services

(November 30, 2020) Toronto — As Ontario has introduced new measures to try to minimize the spread of COVID-19 with Peel and Toronto entering lockdown and Hamilton, Waterloo, Durham, Halton and York enforcing stricter regulations, it is important to evaluate the spread of the disease in workplaces and schools in the weeks leading up to […]

Long-Term Care Lobbyists Are Pushing Doug Ford To Loosen Criminal Record Check Rules For Care Providers

(November 26, 2020) By: PressProgress Experts say push to remove so-called ’red tape’ only makes it easier to hire LTC workers on short-term precarious contracts Some of Ontario’s top long-term care home companies are pushing Ontario’s government to allow them to replace qualified healthcare workers with more precarious staff who aren’t subject to annual background […]

A private care home was her only option. Now my friend’s mother has COVID.

(November 23, 2020) By: Hadani Ditmars, Ricochet A month after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to tackle the issue of COVID-19 in long-term care homes, a childhood friend called me in a panic. Her mother, who has been housed for the past year in a care home run by the company Revera, had tested positive for […]

Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director Natalie Mehra Interview with The Bill Kelly Show

(November 23, 2020) By: The Bill Kelly Show, 900 CHML Hamilton What are the conditions of long-term care homes now and has anything improved since the tragic events of the summer? Executive director Natalie Mehra of the Ontario Health Coalition speaks with Bill Kelly to discuss the current situation in long-term care. Click here for […]

Open letter to Ford demands changes to long-term care

(November 21, 2020) By: Michael Lee, North Bay Nugget A collection of groups representing families of current and former long-term care residents has issued an open letter to Premier Doug Ford demanding “accountability, transparency and a humane approach to the care of vulnerable seniors and adults.” Signed by representatives from four groups — Canadians Against For-Profit […]

LHSC silent on COVID-19 cases among health care workers

(November 20, 2020) By: CBC News 15 employees have tested positive. Dozens of others are being investigated or tested Victoria Hospital and Children’s Hospital London Health Sciences Centre – LHSC Photo by/Dave Chidley (Dave Chidley) Administrators with the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) are refusing to comment on a high number of cases of COVID-19 among […]

Open letter to Ford demands changes to long-term care

(November 20, 2020) By: Michael Lee, The Kingston Whig Standard Alessandro Presenza takes part in a protest organized by the Sudbury chapter of the Ontario Health Coalition, in Sudbury on June 24 JOHN LAPPA / SUDBURY STAR A collection of groups representing families of current and former long-term care residents has issued an open letter to Premier Doug […]

COVID-19 case numbers slowly dropping at number of East Toronto long-term care homes

(November 19, 2020) By: Ali Raza, Beach Metro Community News The number of active cases of COVID-19 is slowly dropping at long-term care homes in East Toronto. Main Street Terrace on 77 Main St. reported an outbreak in mid-October when it got its first positive case of the second wave this fall. The number of […]

Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director Natalie Mehra Interview with Dave Glover of Northumberland 89.7 Radio

(November 19, 2020) By: Drive Time with Dave Glover, Northumberland 89.7 FM radio Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra spoke with Northumberland 89.7 FM radio’s Dave Glover about Bill 175, the new home care act, Bill 218, the new legal liability legislation and about the trends we are seeing in Ontario’s health care system. […]

The province is dodging the truth on COVID-19 in long-term care

(November 19, 2020) By: The Hamilton Spectator On Monday, Ontario’s long-term-care minister, Merrilee Fullerton, assured Ontarians that in spite of COVID-19 spreading through long-term-care homes, they’re actually doing better than they did in the first wave of this pandemic. Speaking at Queen’s Park, the minister summed up: “There’s no doubt that lessons have been learned from […]

REPORT: Tracking the Spread of COVID-19: COVID Numbers in Health Care Outbreaks Escalating Dramatically – Data Updated to November 17

(November 19, 2020) Click here for full version of the health care outbreaks report found below. Total long-term care outbreaks: 100 Large outbreaks (including more that 10 residents/patients/staff): 10 RH, 34 LTC, 5 hospitals with 10 outbreaks. As of November 18 there are 100 active outbreaks in Ontario’s long-term care homes, up from 76 […]

Staff, funding shortages leave Hamilton patients without options for home care

(November 18, 2020) By: Maria Iqbal, The Hamilton Spectator In 2017, Barbara Weigelt’s husband had been in and out of the hospital for a year and a half with serious health issues when, all of a sudden, she faced a choice. Her then-75-year-old husband, Keld Weigelt, could either move into palliative care or be cared for […]

Fedeli named in integrity complaint against MPPs over Bill 218

(November 18, 2020) By: Michael Lee, North Bay Nugget (Print Edition) The Ontario Health Coalition has filed a complaint with the Office of the Integrity Commissioner to investigate certain Progressive Conservative MPPs for any conflicts of interest related to donations from the long-term care industry and the recent passage of a bill critics it says […]

COVID-19 case numbers slowly dropping at number of East Toronto long-term care homes

(November 19, 2020) By: Ali Raza, Yahoo News The number of active cases of COVID-19 is slowly dropping at long-term care homes in East Toronto. Main Street Terrace on 77 Main St. reported an outbreak in mid-October when it got its first positive case of the second wave this fall. The number of cases had […]

Support workers warn Ontario’s long-term care staffing efforts will do more harm than good

(November 18, 2020) By: Chelsea Nash, Rabble.ca COVID-19 has put Canada’s long-term care homes in a state of recurring crisis. Now, personal support workers and health-care advocates say Ontario’s new initiative to recruit long-term care staff will put residents and staff in new danger. On November 9, the Ontario government announced it will be recruiting […]

Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director Natalie Mehra Interview with CTV News Ottawa

By: CTV News Ottawa (November 18, 2020) Looking into Ontario’s For-Profit Long Term Care Homes Click here for full interview

COVID cases are ‘exploding’ in long-term care and retirement homes

(November 17, 2020) By: Joanna Frketich, The Hamilton Spectator “One tragedy on top of another tragedy,” was the prediction of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario between waves of the pandemic when no meaningful changes were made to shore up seniors’ homes. “Unfortunately, I was right,” said CEO Doris Grinspun. “The number of residents with COVID is increasing, the […]

LEVY: Ford and Fullerton break all promises on LTC homes

(November 17, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Daily Herald Tribune On Monday the second wave of COVID-19 continued to rage through 100 Ontario long-term care homes with more than 700 residents afflicted. The same day, in a move that borders on unconscionable, the Ford government rammed through legislation, Bill 218, that virtually guarantees the negligent LTC […]

Tough talk on LTCs worthless; Bill 218 just lets operators skate on COVID deaths

(November 17, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun On Monday the second wave of COVID-19 continued to rage through 100 Ontario long-term care homes with more 700 residents afflicted. The same day, in a move that borders on unconscionable, the Ford government rammed through legislation, Bill 218, that virtually guarantees the negligent LTC operators will […]

LEVY: Ford and Fullerton break all promises on LTC homes

(November 17, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, The Beacon Herald Ontario Minister of Long-Term Care Merrilee Fullerton at Queen’s Park earlier this month. FILE PHOTO / POSTMEDIA On Monday the second wave of COVID-19 continued to rage through 100 Ontario long-term care homes with more than 700 residents afflicted. The same day, in a move that borders on unconscionable, […]

Coronavirus: Critics say Bill 218 will shield Ontario long-term care homes from lawsuits

(November 16, 2020) By: Miranda Anthistle, Global News A controversial piece of legislation allowing for greater protection of Ontario long-term care providers when it comes to liability claims has passed at Queen’s Park. Bill 218 had its third and final reading on Monday and was voted through. It will bar any COVID-19 exposure-related claim against a long-term […]

INTEGRITY COMPLAINT: Health Coalition Requests Integrity Commissioner Investigate Political Donations & High-Level Personnel Links Between For-Profit LTC Industry and Ford Government Prior to Passage of Legal Liability Bil

(November 16, 2020) Today, the Ontario Health Coalition submitted a complaint to the Integrity Commissioner to investigate political donations and high-level personnel links between the for-profit long-term care industry and key ministers & MPPs in the Ford Government prior to the passage of Bill 218, which indemnifies for-profit long-term care homes from liability for negligence […]

Workers are ‘terrified,’ families feel helpless as COVID-19 deaths begin to spike again in long-term-care homes

(November 14, 2020) By: Gilbert Ngabo, The Star John Bateman’s family is very worried. For the past few days, the 81-year-old resident of The Village of Erin Meadows retirement home in Mississauga has developed a fever. But when the family tried to get him tested for COVID-19, they were told there weren’t any testing kits […]

LEVY: Bill 218 is ‘get-out-of-jail-free card’ for LTCs, say advocates

(November 12, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Vancouver Sun “Thank you” signs are on display outside the Seven Oaks Long-Term Care Home in Toronto on Thursday June 25, 2020. PHOTO BY THE CANADIAN PRESS /Toronto Sun If Bill 218 passes next week, residents and their loved ones will see more of the “same” negligence and substandard care in […]

‘More deaths and less care’ after bill: Lawyer

(November 12, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Ottawa Sun If Bill 218 passes next week, residents and their loved ones will see more of the “same” negligence and substandard care in Ontario long-term care homes, advocates for the elderly predict. “This is their get-outof-jail-free card,” Graham Webb, executive director of the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, […]

Coalition raises alarm over COVID-19 cases in health care settings

(November 11, 2020) By: Kirk Dickinson, Blackburn News COVID-19 test tube. (Photo from Pixabay) With more than 1,800 staff and patients infected and 89 people dead from COVID-19 in Ontario’s health care settings in just the last six weeks, a provincial health organization is urging government intervention. A recent report from the Ontario Health Coalition […]

COVID-19 outbreaks declared in two University Hospital units

(November 11, 2020) By: Brent Lale, CTV News London Analysis LONDON, ONT. — London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) says they are dealing with two outbreaks of COVID-19 on separate floors in as many days. The hospital posted the outbreaks to their website, but has declined an interview request from CTV News. The first one is listed […]

Ontario giving negligent long-term care homes a get-out-of-jail free card: Critics

(November 11, 2020) By: Casey Taylor, KitchenerToday.com Stock photo The Government of Ontario is being accused of doing more to protect long-term care owners and operators than it is for residents. Critics of Bill 218, the ‘Supporting Ontario’s Recovery and Municipal Elections Act, 2020’, say the legislation would make it significantly harder for long-term care […]

Families, advocates slam Ontario’s Bill-218, calling it a ‘powerful weapon’ for LTCs to fend off liability

(November 11, 2020) By: CBC News Outside Toronto’s Eatonville Care Centre, a body wrapped in a white sheet is rolled out on a stretcher, pushed by a woman dressed head to toe in protective gear. (Chris Mulligan/CBC) A group of advocates, lawyers and families with loved ones in long-term care have issued a joint call to the […]

Peterborough letter: Long-term care crisis will only get worse

(November 11, 2020) By: Jenny Carter, The Peterborough Examiner While our premier expresses concern about long-term care in this province, the facts suggest that his main objective, even after the disasters we have seen in this pandemic, is to make sure that long-term care remains a profitable business. He has agreed to mandate four hours […]

Call for Access to Justice – Watch Today’s Press Conference on Bill 218

(November 11, 2020) WATCH THE VIDEO OF OUR PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY to stop the Ford government’s new law that indemnifies long-term care homes against lawsuits for negligence resulting in harm and death in COVID-19 pandemic. It is fundamentally unjust. Families seeking access to justice for their loved ones who have died, many of them in […]

Province announces more hospital beds in Kenora

(November 10, 2020) By: Mike Aiken, Kenora Online Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford announces 12 new hospital beds in Kenora. (Submitted) With the second wave of COVID-19 well underway, the province says they’re adding 12 beds at Lake of the Woods District Hospital. “We are very pleased to receive funding approval for up to 12 beds […]

REPORT & RELEASE: Ontario Is Experiencing Exponential Growth of COVID-19 Cases In Long-Term Care – OHC’s Roundup of Most Recent Case Numbers

(November 10, 2020) Click here for full version of the health care outbreaks report found below. ———- Toronto – COVID-19 is spreading and the Ontario Health Coalition is warning that there is exponential growth in positive cases in long-term care homes in particular. There are also large outbreaks in a number of hospitals and retirement […]

CKMS COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS FOR 9 NOVEMBER 2020 WITH JIM STEWART AND RIANI DE WET OF WATERLOO REGION HEALTH COALITION

(November 9, 2020) By: Bob Jonkman, CKMS 102.7 FM Jim Stewart and Riani de Wet of the Waterloo Region Health Coalition return to CKMS Community Connections to talk about the new legislation for Long Term Care facilities and privatization of health care. Previous appearance on CCC: 27 May 2019. The interview starts at 3m23s. Listen to the podcast here

Health lobby group wants more transparency in reporting of COVID-19 cases

(November 8, 2020) By: Len Gillis, sudbury.com As the number of COVID-19 cases is seen to be on the increase, with daily reports from the Ontario Government of more than one thousand new cases some days, there is a concern that many of the cases are remaining completely anonymous as far as the general public […]

Number of COVID-19 cases now at Main Street Terrace long-term care home showing slight decrease

(November 6, 2020) By: Ali Raza, Beach Metro Community News The number of COVID-19 cases at the Main Street Terrace long-term care home has dropped following efforts from Michael Garron Hospital and Toronto Public Health. The first positive case in the second wave came on Oct. 13 at the home located at 77 Main St. […]

New Report on COVID-19 Outbreaks in Non-Health Care Settings: Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director Natalie Mehra Interview with The Bill Kelly Show

(November 5, 2020) By: The Bill Kelly Show, 900 CHML Hamilton A report from the Ontario Health Coalition on non health-care outbreaks shows that there is a growth in cases that far surpass the general population in schools, retail, etc. Click here for full interview

Amid austerity measures, some provinces’ public services are in trouble

(November 5, 2020) By: Chelsea Nash, rabble.ca In Alberta, it started with provincial parks. The trend towards the privatization of public services — and the loss of public service jobs — has only snowballed since. Last Monday, hospital workers in Alberta walked off the job in a wildcat strike, after Alberta Health Services announced it would […]

New transitional unit opens at Ottawa retirement residence

(November 5, 2020) By: Julie Ireton, CBC News Ottawa and area hospital patients who no longer require acute-care treatment can now go to a 120-bed transitional unit at a new Ottawa retirement home. The unit will be managed and staffed by a private company. “Within a period of three months we opened a medium-sized hospital. That is not an easy […]

New hospital site managed by private firm raises red flags, health coalition says

(November 5, 2020) By: CBC News Analysis Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, says having a private, for-profit firm manage a public hospital site is ‘very unusual’ in Ontario and presents many potential problems. Click here for original article

181 COVID-19 outbreaks in health care settings leaving 89 residents dead & more than 1,800 staff & patients infected in 6-wks, numbers way up across the board, warns Ontario Health Coalition

(November 5, 2020) By: Exchange Magazine 181 COVID-19 outbreaks in health care settings leaving 89 residents dead & more than 1,800 staff & patients infected in 6-wks, numbers way up across the board, warns Ontario Health Coalition The spread of COVID-19 in long-term care, retirement homes and hospitals is growing at an alarming rate. By […]

181 outbreaks, 89 resident deaths reported in healthcare settings in six weeks

(November 4, 2020) By: Clarrie Feinstein, Daily Hive News Toronto In a six-week period, there have been 181 outbreaks and 89 residents deaths in healthcare settings, according to the Ontario Health Coalition. On Wednesday, the coalition said the spread of the virus in long-term care, retirement homes, and hospitals is growing “at an alarming rate.” […]

Ford announces four hours of care at long-term care homes but it’s too little, too late says Ontario Health Coalition

(November 4, 2020) By: Wellington Advertiser Staff TORONTO – Premier Doug Ford announced on Nov. 2 that long-term care residents will receive an average of four hours a day of care. But it’s not enough and not fast enough for the Ontario Health Coalition. Ford said the province will need to hire tens of thousands […]

Ford tosses a bone to LTC advocates; Solutions to frontline staffing issues needed now – not later

(November 4, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun (Print Edition) So again, dozens of people in long-term care (LTC) homes are infected with the virus in the second wave of COVID-19. Some 89 residents have died since Sept. 18 and the infection rates have skyrocketed, according to the Ontario Health Coalition. Staffing shortages remain a […]

Merrilee Fullerton’s Past Health-Care Views Spur Questions Amid Pandemic

(November 4, 2020) By: Emma Paling, Huffington Post TORONTO — An Ontario minister says her history of railing against Canada’s health-care system with talking points used by right-wing Americans is old news. But critics say her ideology is outside the Canadian mainstream and raises questions about her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. For years, Ontario’s Minister of Long-Term […]

Health care advocates worried about care home staffing

(November 4, 2020) By: Nicole Lampa, CTV News Kitchener Analysis KITCHENER — Health care advocates are concerned about staffing levels at the province’s long-term care homes. Some said Ontario’s promise to improve hours of direct care in homes needs to happen now, rather than following the government’s timeline of 2024. Tracy Rowley’s mother, Shirley Egerdeen, […]

SUBMISSION: Submission to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy on Bill 218

(November 4, 2020) Bill 218 submissions from the Ontario Health Coalition, the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly and Will Davidson LLP, media releases from the 3 organizations and a chart containing connections between the Conservative Party and the long-term care lobby industry can all be found at the end of this post. Mission and Mandate […]

RELEASE: Almost Four Dozen People Who Applied to Testify Before the Ontario Legislature’s Standing Committee on Bill 218 Limiting Legal Liability for COVID-19 Harms for Long-Term Care Homes and Others, Cut Out of the Hearings Today

(November 4, 2020) Toronto – Increasingly frustrated with the lack of accountability for the response to COVID-19 in Ontario’s long-term care homes, Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra called today’s revelation that dozens of people who applied for standing in today’s legislative hearings on Bill 218 which limits legal liability for the home operators, “Injustice heaped […]

RELEASE: 181 COVID-19 outbreaks in health care settings leaving 89 residents dead & more than 1,800 staff & patients infected in 6-wks, numbers way up across the board, warns Ontario Health Coalition

(November 4, 2020) Toronto- The spread of COVID-19 in long-term care, retirement homes and hospitals is growing at an alarming rate. By every measure– case numbers, number and size of outbreaks and death numbers which follow the former a few weeks later — COVID-19 is spreading much more rapidly. Tracking from the period of September […]

LEVY: Premier tosses a bone to long-term-care advocates

(November 3, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, The Kingston Whig Standard Crosses erected outside Camilla Care Community long-term care home representing the residents who have died from COVID-19, during a hunger strike by Innis Ingram May 28, 2020. JACK BOLAND / TORONTO SUN So again, dozens of people in long-term care (LTC) homes are infected with the virus in […]

Seniors need four hours of care now, not in four years – Giroux

(November 2, 2020) By: Jennifer Hamilton-McCharles, North Bay Nugget There is no reason to applaud the provincial government just yet. Long-term care residents need an average of four hours of direct care every day now, not in four years as promised Monday by the Doug Ford government.. Giroux, president of the North Bay and District […]

Ontario reports 948 more COVID-19 cases as 7-day average hits new high

(November 2, 2020) By: CBC News Province commits to 4 hours of daily direct care for long-term care residents Ontario reported another 948 cases of COVID-19 on Monday, as the provincial government commits to a new standard that would see long-term care residents receive an average of four hours of direct care every day. “To […]

RELEASE: New Report on COVID-19 Outbreaks in Non-Health Care Workplaces Shows Growth in Cases Far Surpass the General Population in Schools, Retail, Public Services: Data & Communication Still Poor, Only One Public Health Unit is Reporting All Outbreaks with Names of Businesses

(November 3, 2020) Toronto – As COVID-19 cases in Ontario’s general population hit an all-time, increasing 24% in two weeks from October 13, 2020 to October 28, 2020, the Ontario Health Coalition released its most recent outbreaks report for non-health care settings. It is available here: https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/index.php/report-tracking-of-covid-19-outbreaks-in-non-health-care-settings-data-updated-to-october-28 The Ontario Health Coalition reported that clear data […]

Ford government promises more hands-on care in nursing homes

(November 2, 2020) By: TbNewsWatch.com Staff MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — The Ontario government has announced a plan to increase the amount of direct care that nursing home residents receive daily. The current average is 2.75 hours per day. At a news conference at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga on Monday, Premier Ford and two cabinet ministers said they […]

Ontario is moving to four hours of hands-on care daily for nursing-home residents by 2025

(November 2, 2020) By: Rob Ferguson, Queen’s Park Bureau It has taken 10 years of pressure and more than 2,000 COVID-19 deaths, but Ontario is promising to give nursing home residents an average four hours of daily hands-on care. Premier Doug Ford made the pledge Monday, warning it will take four years to reach that […]

RELEASE: Ford’s 4-hour long-term care announcement too late: Need commitment to deal with staffing crisis now

(November 2, 2020) While the Ontario Health Coalition is happy that the Ford government has finally adopted the 4-hour minimum care standard as policy, the timeline that they have given is so long that it is meaningless for the people who are suffering and dying in long-term care now, warns the Coalition. The Coalition has […]

Les résidences pour aînés toujours vulnérables

(October 31, 2020) By: Jean-Christophe Laurence, La Presse Ils arrivent à l’heure du dîner pour voir leur maman de 81 ans. Bien qu’ils y soient autorisés, ils n’entrent pas dans l’établissement. « On n’a pas été testés récemment, donc on est prudents. Vous comprenez ? » Alors ils restent dehors. Et parlent à la vieille dame à travers la […]