News + Events

‘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 […]

November Newsletter 2020

By: Mary Farrar, Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour Dear Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour, Thanks Tim Yearington for the image about ALL the people of the four directions. As Tim says “We are all related. We must aim to merge and come together at centre. The ‘great bird’ flying at the Centre represents our shared […]

Ontario bill protects long-term care homes, not seniors

(October 29, 2020) By: Lorrie Goldstein, Calgary Sun (Print Edition) When Ontario Premier Doug Ford promised “an iron ring around our seniors” to protect them from COVID-19 on March 30, it didn’t sound like the protection he was talking about was for negligent long-term care (LTC) homes and insurance companies. At that time, there were […]

Long-term Care Unions Urge Government to Listen to Experts on Minimum Care Standards

(October 27, 2020) By: The Kingston Whig Standard TORONTO — CUPE Ontario, SEIU Healthcare and Unifor held a joint press conference on Tuesday morning, calling on the Ontario government to legislate a minimum care standard of four hours of hands-on care in long-term care homes by immediately passing Bill 13, the Time to Care Act. […]

Ontario LTC commission: Hire more nursing home staff ASAP — no further study needed

(October 27, 2020) By: Len Gillis, Sudbury.com (Supplied) Ontario’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission has called for hiring more front-line care staff, enough to provide a minimum daily average of four hours of direct care per patient per day. Along with that, the commission is pushing for the creation of a comprehensive human resources strategy to […]

Health Coalition Supports Interim Recommendations from Long-Term Care Commission: Calls on Ontario Government to Implement Them Immediately

(October 27, 2020) By: Exchange Magazine The Ontario government’s Long-Term Care Commission’s interim recommendations support the need for immediate action on improving care levels by increasing the supply of PSWs and an appropriate staff mix including nurses to meet the complex care needs of residents. They also validate the Coalition’s long-standing call for a minimum […]

HEALTH COALITION SUPPORTS INTERIM RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LONG TERM CARE COMMISSION: CALLS ON FORD GOVERNMENT TO IMPLEMENT IMMEDIATELY

(October 26, 2020) By: iHeart Radio – Newstalk 610 CKTB Matt Holmes Speaks with Natalie Mehra – Executive Director Ontario Health Coalition regarding the state of long term care homes during wave 2 of COVID-19. Listen to audio here Click here for original article

REPORT: Tracking of COVID-19 Outbreaks in Non-Health Care Settings – Data Updated to October 13

(October 26, 2020) Click here for full version of the non-health care outbreaks report with a list of all outbreaks. A summary of the report can be found below. ———- Introduction As wave two has now officially hit Ontario, we have tracked devastating increases in workplace infections outside of the health care industry. Our tracking […]

Recommendations from long-term care commission echo calls from lobby groups

(October 25, 2020) By: Allan Benner, St. Catharines Standard Many of the recommendations released Friday by the province’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission sound very familiar, local advocacy groups say. Among recommendations included in an interim report, the commission is calling for a minimum of four hours of daily care for each resident of long-term care […]

LEVY: LTC Commission gives life-saving advice for COVID’s second wave

(October 24, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun Concerned the second wave of COVID-19 is underway in Ontario, the Long-Term Care Commission issued a five-page preliminary report Friday that will hopefully help to avoid mistakes that led to more than 1,800 deaths in the province’s LTC homes during the first wave. Besides wage enhancements for […]

Life-saving advice for LTCs; Commission’s early report insightful

(October 24, 2020) By: Sue-Annlevy, Toronto Sun (Print Edition) Concerned the second wave of COVID-19 is underway in Ontario, the Long-Term Care Commission issued a five-page preliminary report Friday that will hopefully help to avoid mistakes that led to more than 1,800 deaths in the province’s LTC homes during the first wave. Besides wage enhancements […]

Mourning families fear legal rights are ‘being extinguished’

(October 23, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun (Print Edition) The executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition worries the truth will never get out about poor-performing long-term care homes after the province introduced a new COVID-19 liability law this week. Natalie Mehra told the Toronto Sun her phone has been ringing off the hook […]

Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day

(October 23, 2020) By: Sudbury.com Staff (Shutterstock) Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to get you started on this rainy Friday morning. Heavy rainfall could lead to flooding in low-lying areas, Conservation Sudbury warns Conservation Sudbury has issued a water safety statement for all parts of the Greater Sudbury watersheds as of […]

RELEASE: Health Coalition Supports Interim Recommendations from Long-Term Care Commission: Calls on Ford Government to Implement Them Immediately

(October 23, 2020) The Ford government’s Long-Term Care Commission’s interim recommendations support the need for immediate action on improving care levels by increasing the supply of PSWs and an appropriate staff mix including nurses to meet the complex care needs of residents. They also validate the Coalition’s long-standing call for a minimum average care standard […]

Long-term care accountability weaker from Bill 218: OHC, local long-term care coalition

(October 22, 2020) By: Roderick Benns, The Lindsay Advocate The Ford government has introduced legislation that would make it significantly harder for residents and families to hold long-term care homes liable for harm resulting from exposure to COVID-19, says the Ontario Health Coalition, a position echoed by a local group advocating for better long-term care. […]

Ontario seniors’ advocates concerned over liability protection in long-term care

(October 22, 2020) By: Veronica Appia, GuelphMercuryTribune.com Ontario seniors’ advocates are expressing concerns about protecting the legal rights of those who have been harmed, due to exposure to COVID-19, in long-term-care homes since March. On Oct. 20, the Ontario government introduced new legislation called Bill 218: Supporting Ontario’s Recovery Act, which will “provide liability protection […]

Will LTC homes never be held to account for COVID deaths?

(October 22, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun COVID-19-Diane Colangelo visits her 86-year-old mother Patricia through a window at the Orchard Villa long-term care home in Pickering on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. Patricia tested postivive for coronavirus days later and died on May 7, 2020. PHOTO BY VERONICA HENRI /TORONTO SUN FILES The executive director […]

ONTARIO: New liability law would not protect negligent long-term care providers, Ford says

(October 22, 2020) By: GuelphToday.com Stock image TORONTO — New COVID-19 liability legislation would not protect long-term care providers from being sued, Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday, as he urged families to pursue legal action if they believe a loved one died in a seniors home due to negligence. Ford said he initially shared the […]

New law proposes legal protection for long-term care homes in Ontario

(October 22, 2020) By: Sudbury.com Staff (Stock) New legislation tabled by the Ford government at Queen’s Park this week will make it harder for Ontario residents to take legal action against long-term care homes or hold them liable for harm as a result of being exposed to COVID-19, according to the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC). The […]

Law firm will proceed with legal action against long-term care homes after COVID-19 deaths

(October 22, 2020) By: Allan Benner, St. Catharines Standard New provincial legislation that may protect long-term care homes from COVID-19 related lawsuits won’t stop an Oakville-based law firm from pursuing nine actions it has filed so far, including a class-action lawsuit filed against the owners of Lundy Manor in Niagara Falls. But the legislation introduced […]

Ford: Bill would not protect negligent LTC providers; Critics say law could make lawsuits difficult

(October 22, 2020) By: Shawn Jeffords, North Bay Nugget TORONTO New COVID-19 liability legislation would not protect long-term care providers from being sued, Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday, as he urged families to pursue legal action if they believe a loved one died in a seniors home due to negligence. Ford said he initially shared […]

Families fear bill could let LTC duck liability

(October 22, 2020) By: Antonella Artuso, Ottawa Sun TORONTO – Reckless nursing homes can still be held legally accountable for COVID-19 infections, Premier Doug Ford insists. “They can continue to sue them,” Ford said Wednesday. “This does not protect them 100% by any means.” His government introduced a bill Tuesday that would provide wide protection […]

Ford defends bill that critics say shields long-term care homes from lawsuits

(October 21, 2020) By: Codi Wilson, CTV News TORONTO — Premier Doug Ford says families outraged by negligence on the part of long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic will still be able to hold the operators of those homes accountable despite new provincial legislation that critics say makes it more difficult for loved ones […]

New liability law would not protect negligent long-term care providers: Ford

(October 21, 2020) By: Shawn Jeffords, The Canadian Press TORONTO – New COVID-19 liability legislation would not protect long-term care providers from being sued, Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday, as he urged families to pursue legal action if they believe a loved one died in a seniors home due to negligence. Ford said he initially […]

Critics say Ford’s new long-term care legislation makes it harder to sue the facilities

(October 21, 2020) By: Clarrie Feinstein, Daily Hive Toronto Doug Ford / CPAC Premier Doug Ford’s new legislation that aims to provide liability protection for workers and organizations that follow COVID-19 health guidelines, is facing backlash. On Tuesday, the Ontario government introduced the Supporting Ontario’s Recovery Act, 2020, that if passed, will provide liability protection for workers, […]

‘Unacceptable’: Union claims management didn’t do enough to prevent second outbreak at Simcoe Manor in Beeton

(October 21, 2020) By: Brad Pritchard, Simcoe County (Metroland Media Group) The union that represents healthcare workers at Simcoe Manor in Beeton is accusing management of not doing enough to prevent the COVID-19 outbreak at the facility that has led to nearly 70 infections and nine deaths since it began on Oct. 2. Sharlene Stewart, […]

LTC families upset over liability bill: OHC

(October 21, 2020) By: Antonella Artuso, Brantford Expositor With Ontario seeing 783 COVID-19 cases Thursday, Premier Doug Ford encouraged residents to use the COVID-Alert app to help arm the province and users with better tracking measures. POSTMEDIA Reckless nursing homes can still be held legally accountable for COVID-19 infections, Premier Doug Ford insists. “They can […]

Ontario seniors’ advocates concerned over liability protection in long-term care

(October 21, 2020) By: Veronica Appia, GuelphMercuryTribune.com Ontario seniors’ advocates are expressing concerns about protecting the legal rights of those who have been harmed, due to exposure to COVID-19, in long-term-care homes since March. On Oct. 20, the Ontario government introduced new legislation called Bill 218: Supporting Ontario’s Recovery Act, which will “provide liability protection for […]

COVID-19 cases have been quietly mounting up and killing in long-term-care homes: These 3 charts explain what many seem to have missed

(October 21, 2020) By: Kenyon Wallace, GuelphMercuryTribune.com The number of active cases of COVID-19 among residents of Ontario long-term-care homes is growing at an average rate of about eight per cent per day, prompting seniors advocates to call for measures to prevent a full-blown second wave of infections from sweeping through facilities. There were 216 active resident […]

Ontario LTC homes may be forced to close due to insurance issues

(October 20, 2020) By: Global News Long-term care homes in Ontario are being offered new insurance policies but they don’t include coverage for infectious disease outbreaks, including COVID-19. As Morganne Campbell reports, the Ontario Long Term Care Association is lobbying the federal government for a bailout. Watch video here Click here for original article

RELEASE: Ford Government’s New Legislation Will Make It Significantly Harder to Hold For-Profit Long-term Care Homes Liable for COVID-19 Harms

(October 21, 2020) Toronto – The Ford government has introduced legislation that would make it significantly harder for residents and families to hold long-term care homes liable for harm resulting from exposure to and infection with COVID-19. The legislation covers any individual, corporation or entity and includes the crown (which means the government and its […]

Today’s coronavirus news: York Region imposes modified Stage 2 restrictions; Ontario reports 712 cases; Canada’s count climbed by an average of 2,300 cases per day over the past seven days

(October 16, 2020) By: News Staff, Toronto Star 4:27 p.m. There have been 193,622 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canada, including 9,721 deaths, while 163,260 cases have been resolved, according to The Canadian Press. This breaks down as follows (NOTE: The Star does its own count for Ontario; see elsewhere this file.): Quebec: 91,018 confirmed (including […]

It’s April all over again. A look at the numbers shows Ontario could be on the brink of another long-term-care catastrophe

(October 16, 2020) By: Kenyon Wallace, Toronto Star Seniors’ advocates and health professionals warn we may be on the cusp of yet another long-term care disaster as COVID-19 cases in Ontario homes revolve around similar numbers seen in early April – just two weeks before a massive spike in infections claimed hundreds of lives. installations. […]

Oakville protesters demand more help for long term care homes as Ontario enters second COVID wave

(October 15, 2020) By: David Lea, Oakville Beaver Ontario’s long-term care homes need more staff who have the tools they need to keep COVID-19 out. These were among the demands made during a protest outside Oakville MPP Stephen Crawford’s office on Thursday, Oct. 8. The protest was part of a day of action organized by […]

‘He was pretty much left to die’: Ongoing shortage of staff at care homes has loved ones across Peel worried

(October 14, 2020) By: Nida Zafar, The Pointer In the parking lot of a densely packed plaza that includes a Service Canada office, a couple small food establishments and a cluster of medical offices, a small group of people gather near the entrance of 10 Gillingham Drive in Brampton. The bursts of cold air cutting […]

‘The system is completely broken,’ Horwath on long-term care

(October 13, 2020) By: Ryan Forbes, Kenora Online Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says if she’s elected Premier, her party will transform the look of long-term care homes across the province. In a virtual media conference, Horwath was joined by Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa and guest speaker Estelle Cantera, who told her family’s story of […]

EVENT: 2020 Annual Health Action Virtual Assembly

(October 29, 2020) On Saturday October 24, more than 300 registrants joined us as we held our Annual Health Action Virtual Assembly. A myriad of health care topics were discussed during the assembly, with topics ranging from how COVID-19 has affected health and non-health settings & racialized groups, the legal actions surrounding long-term care as […]

LEVY: LTC homes not ready for second wave, say advocates

(October 12, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun Simon Nisbet and mom Doreen in better times. PHOTO BY SUBMITTED PHOTO Simon Nisbet has much to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day. His mom Doreen is alive and doing well at 89 because he pulled her out of Orchard Villa and got her into hospital before […]

COVID-19 : doit-on passer à une approche plus punitive?

(October 10, 2020) By: Francis Beaudry, Radio Canada La deuxième vague de la pandémie frappe Toronto, est-ce que l’approche centrée sur l’éducation des autorités sanitaires de la Ville Reine a porté fruit? Depuis le début des restrictions mises en place par Toronto en mars, la politique éducative de la santé publique est reflétée dans sa […]

WITH VIDEO: ‘We need to put the pressure on’: Fight continues for long-term care changes with Almonte day of action

(October 10, 2020) By: Ashley Kulp, Carleton Place Almonte Canadian Gazette Karen Thompson remembers her mom Mae Wilson as a “crazy character.” She lost her 93-year-old mom on Mother’s Day. Wilson was one of 29 Almonte Country Haven (ACH) residents who died from COVID-19 during the long-term care home’s outbreak this past spring. “She was a […]

‘They are afraid’: Worker says staff fear showing up at West End Villa long-term care home

(October 9, 2020) By: Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen With 47 cases of COVID-19 among staff there, many people have been afraid to show up for work at Ottawa’s West End Villa, creating staff shortages, a worker from the Ottawa long-term care home claimed Thursday. “They are afraid they are going to spread it to their […]

Rally Calls For Long Term Care Help

(October 9, 2020) By: News Staff, 99.1FM CKXS Health care advocates are calling on the provincial government to do more to protect residents in long term care. A small rally was held in front of MPP Rick Nicholls’ Chatham constituency office yesterday with a motorcade of vehicles circling by the Heritage Road building, honking their […]

Long-term care residents still vulnerable as second wave of pandemic begins

(October 9, 2020) By: Joanne Shuttleworth, The Wellington Advertiser GUELPH – A second wave of COVID-19 is brewing, and residents and staff at long-term care homes, who bore the brunt of the virus in the first wave, are still vulnerable. That is why the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) put out an urgent call for the […]

‘For my husband’: York Region woman shares story of husband’s decline in long-term care

(October 9, 2020) By: Kim Champion, newmarkettoday.ca With a small sign in her hand that said, ‘For my husband’, an emotional Margaret Calver yesterday told a small group of protesters at the Save our Seniors: Fix LTC! event in Newmarket that she is heartbroken about her husband’s decline in a long-term care facility during the […]

Peel Health Coalition takes part in provincewide protests over long-term care conditions

(October 9, 2020) By: Marta Marychuk, Caledon Enterprise The Peel Health Coalition was one of 24 chapters of the Ontario Health Coalition that took part in a day of action on Thursday, Oct. 8, to protest conditions in long-term care homes. Rosemary Keenan, a member of Peel Health Coalition that gathered outside the office of […]

‘We want long-term care fixed now’

(October 9, 2020) By: Colleen Romaniuk, Sudbury Star The Ontario Health Coalition held a province-wide Day of Action on Thursday calling the Ford government to take immediate steps to improve conditions in long-term care facilities. Participants, including members of the Sudbury Health Coalition, health-care workers, family members with relatives in long-term care, and local MPPs, […]

Staff shortages up COVID concerns in long-term care; Ontario Health Coalition rally shines light on staffing concerns

(October 9, 2020) By: Ellwood Shreve, Chatham Daily News Chatham-Kent has, so far, avoided a COVID-19 outbreak at any of its long-term care homes but, due to staff shortages and burnout, a health-care advocate and union official fear the result if it does happen. “Although there have not been any COVID-19 outbreaks, the bad conditions […]

Long-term care needs care now: Protesters; Day of Action urges government to boost support

(October 9, 2020) By: Elaine Della-Mattia, Sault Star Health-care advocates and union leaders staged an Ontario-wide protest Thursday urging the provincial government to take immediate action to address the staffing crisis in long-term care homes and implement a minimum of four hours of hands-on care for residents. In Sault Ste. Marie, the protest and accompanying […]

Need for PSWs, long-term care home workers immediate – OHC

(October 9, 2020) By: PJ Wilson, Timmins Daily Press Ontario needs to hire between 10,000 and 15,000 workers in long-term care homes “right now,” according to Liberal health critic John Fraser. Speaking in a Zoom news conference Thursday, Fraser said in one extreme case from Ottawa, a longterm care worker is looking after 30 senior […]

Day of action for long-term care includes rally in Hamilton’s Gore Park

(October 8, 2020) By: Ken Mann, Global News CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn speaks to supporters during a rally in Hamilton’s Gore Park. Lisa Polewski/Global News A union that represents staff in long-term care homes has participated in a “day of action.” CUPE Ontario is stepping up its call for better pay for personal support […]

ONTARIO HEALTH COALITION RALLIES HIT WINDSOR CALLING FOR NEW STANDARDS IN LONG-TERM CARE HOMES

(October 8, 2020) By: Ricardo Veneza, CTV News Windsor Union members, health professionals and other activists joined in an Ontario Health Coalition rally outside of the Heron Terrace long-term care home in Windsor, Ont., on Thursday, October 8, 2020. (Ricardo Veneza/CTV Windsor). Rallies across Ontario, including in Windsor and Chatham, are calling for the Ford […]

Need for PSWs, long-term care home workers immediate — OHC

(October 8, 2020) By: PJ Wilson, North Bay Nugget Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. POSTMEDIA Ontario needs to hire between 10,000 and 15,000 workers in long-term care homes “right now,” according to Liberal health critic John Fraser. Speaking in a Zoom news conference Thursday, Fraser said in one extreme case from Ottawa, […]

Kawartha Lakes Health Coalition calls for better staffing levels in long-term care

(October 8, 2020) By: William McGinn, The Lindsay Advocate Joining their provincial and national counterparts to demand action on the state of long-term care, the Kawartha Lakes Health Coalition (KLHC) said staffing levels must improve. The KLHC joined the Ontario Health Coalition in a “Day of Action” for long-term care across Canada, and demanded the […]

Staff shortages heighten concern if COVID outbreak hits C-K long-term care homes

(October 8, 2020) By: Ellwood Shreve, Chatham Daily News Chatham-Kent has, so far, avoided a COVID-19 outbreak at any of its long-term care homes but, due to staff shortages and burnout, a health-care advocate and union official fear the result if it does happen. “Although there have not been any COVID-19 outbreaks, the bad conditions […]

Ontario October 8 Day of Action on Long-Term Care: All Out to Uphold the Rights of Seniors and Their Caregivers

(October 8, 2020) By: Steve Rutchinski, cpcml.ca The Ontario Day of Action on Long-Term Care (LTC) organized by the Ontario Health Coalition, frontline care and senior advocacy organizations is being held on Thursday, October 8 to demand improved care in LTC facilities and an end to for-profit privatized LTC. Nineteen cities have now announced a […]

‘We want long-term care fixed now’

(October 8, 2020) By: Colleen Romaniuk, The Sudbury Star The Ontario Health Coalition held a province-wide Day of Action on Thursday calling the Ford government to take immediate steps to improve conditions in long-term care facilities. Participants, including members of the Sudbury Health Coalition, health-care workers, family members with relatives in long-term care, and local […]

Day of action for long-term care includes rally in Hamilton’s Gore Park

(October 8, 2020) By: Ken Mann, Global News A union that represents staff in long-term care homes has participated in a “day of action.” CUPE Ontario is stepping up its call for better pay for personal support workers, increased staffing in long-term care homes and an end to the privatization of long-term care beds. Union […]

Health Coalition Calling For Action

(October 8, 2020) By: News Staff, 99.1FM CKXS Rallies are being held across the province today as the Ontario Health Coalition calls for on the government to address staffing issues in long term care homes. The group demands the Ford government recruit and train more staff and provide a minimum daily standard of four hours of hands-on […]

PHOTOS: Day of Action demonstration for long-term care

(October 8, 2020) By: Dax Melmer, Windsor Star Participants in the Ontario Health Coalition’s Day of Action on Long-Term Care rallied outside Heron Terrace in Tecumseh on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. The demonstration was held in part to call for action by the Ford government to recruit and train more staff and improve pay and […]

HEALTH COALITIONS ACROSS THE PROVINCE FIGHT FOR LONG-TERM CARE HOMES

(October 8, 2020) By: Rob Hindi, AM800 CKLW The co-chair of the Windsor Health Coalition believes the province can do better. Speaking on AM800’s The Dan MacDonald Show, Tracey Ramsey says the province needs to look at staffing levels immediately at long-term care facilities across the province. “We’re calling for immediate action by the Ford […]

TODAY IS DAY OF ACTION ON LONG TERM CARE

(October 8, 2020) By: Tami Jeanneret, 610 CKTB News Today members of the Ontario Health Coalition will demonstrate across the province in ” A Day of Action on Long Term Care.” The Coalition points out over 1,900 residents and staff have died from COVID-19 in long term care homes in Ontario. It says the funding […]

DAN MACDONALD SHOW – ONTARIO HEALTH COALITION CALLS FOR DAY OF ACTION FOR LONG-TERM CARE WORKERS’ CONCERNS

(October 8, 2020) By: Dan MacDonald, AM800 CKLW Interview with Tracey Ramsey, co-chair of the Windsor Health Coalition Click here for original interview

‘It’s policy versus people’: Guelph groups call on province to ban private long-term care homes

(October 8, 2020) By: Jonathan Duncan, The Guelph Mercury Tribune A group of around 12 people gathered in downtown Guelph on Thursday, demanding better services for long-term care residents, and deprivatization of health care. It was part of a planned series of protest and rallies across the province, organized by the Ontario Health Coalition. With […]

Rallies calling on Ford to make changes to long-term care now (4 photos)

(October 8, 2020) By: Doug Diaczuk, Thunder Bay News THUNDER BAY – For years health coalitions, unions, and personal support workers have been calling on the provincial government to address issues in long-term care, and with the COVID-19 pandemic claiming nearly 2,000 lives, those calls continue to get louder. “We are here today to join […]

Ontario is failing long-term care residents on COVID and care, protesters say

(October 8, 2020) By: Len Gillis, sudbury.com Despite some pay raises and promises that things are getting better in long-term care (LTC) homes, there is still a concern the Ontario Government is not doing anywhere near enough to solve the issues of staffing shortages and providing enough hands-on care for patients and it become especially […]

Personal support workers concerned about staffing and impact of second wave of COVID-19

(October 8, 2020) By: News Staff, CHCH News Personal support workers and the Ontario Health Coalition are sounding the alarm on what they call a crisis in long-term care homes. Rallies across the province today were meant as a warning to the provincial government, participants saying, if things don’t change, this wave could be more […]

Workers, families hold protest for long-term care changes

(October 8, 2020) By: Julie Ireton, CBC News Workers, unions and families gathered in Almonte, Ont., Thursday to call for immediate action by the Ford government to recruit staff and to improve working conditions in Ontario’s long-term care homes. Amy Ayers, a personal support worker at Almonte Country Haven who helped organize the day of action, has been at […]

CUPE Ontario and Ontario Health Coalition rally at Gore Park in support of long-term care workers

(October 8, 2020) By: John Rennison, The Hamilton Spectator CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn calls on the provincial government to fix long-term care during a rally Thursday morning (Oct. 8) in Gore Park. The rally by the CUPE Ontario and Ontario Health Coalition in Hamilton called on the government to improve wages for workers, hire […]

Ontario Health Coalition calls for overhaul of long term care (4 photos)

(October 8, 2020) By: Kenneth Armstrong, guelphtoday.com Advocacy groups and unions representing the health care sector are calling on the provincial government do much more when it comes to protecting people living in long term care, as well demanding a halt to creeping privatization of health care in Ontario. On Thursday morning the Ontario Health […]

Are long-term-care homes ready for COVID-19’s second wave? City-owned homes say they are, but others aren’t so sure

(October 8, 2020) By: Francine Kopun, St. Catharines Standard Toronto’s 10 long-term-care homes are better prepared to make it through a resurgence of COVID–19 than they were during the first wave, when all 10 suffered outbreaks, says the person in charge of the city-run facilities. “In truth, we were preparing for the second wave in June,” said […]

Workers urge more funding, protection for long-term care residents

(October 8, 2020) By: Matthew Barker, The Peterborough Examiner The Peterborough Health Coalition held a rally outside of Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith’s office on Thursday, calling for more funding for long-term care homes in the area and more protection for residents. “As we all know the impact of this COVID-19 pandemic is being heavily felt in […]

What you need to know about COVID-19 in Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 8

(October 8, 2020) By: CBC News, Yahoo News What’s the latest? Ottawa has 182 more confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to the province, surpassing the previous daily record of 142. Ottawa Public Health (OPH) will release its more detailed report early this afternoon. OPH is using another real-world example of what can happen when people don’t follow public health […]

Families, health coalition demand action on long-term care

(October 8, 2020) By: CBC News Betty Yakimenko says her mom, Elsie Stadler, must be made of Teflon, because the Madonna Care Community resident has been tested eight times for COVID-19, and each time the result has come back negative. Now, Stadler is preparing for test number nine, and Yakimenko hopes her mother can cheat the virus, which has […]

How long-term care homes could have better prepared for a second wave

(October 7, 2020) By: Robyn Bresnahan, CBC Radio Long-term care homes in Ottawa are seeing some of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the province. An advocate with the Ontario Health Coalition says the government needs to do more to address staffing shortages and testing delays. Click on “Ottawa Morning with Robyn Bresnahan – Oct. 7, […]

ONTARIO HEALTH COALITION CALLS FOR DAY OF ACTION FOR LONG-TERM CARE WORKERS’ CONCERNS

(October 7, 2020) By: Lindsay Charlton, CTV News Windsor The Ontario Health Coalition is calling for a Day of Action across the province to address staffing issues, and a lack of full-time work in long-term care facilities. Press conferences with public health guidelines in place and motorcades will be taking place at the Ontario Legislature […]

RELEASE & EVENT ROUNDUP: Cross-Province Protest Decries Ford’s Inadequate Response to Long-Term Care Crisis

(October 8, 2020) Toronto – Outside the Ontario Legislature and in 25 towns across Ontario, the Ontario Health Coalition held protests today to call upon the Ford government to take action to address the critical shortage of staffing and care in long-term care homes. In Ottawa, families and staff describe conditions in which residents were […]

Outbreaks hit Ottawa’s long-term care homes, despite 1st wave lessons

(October 7, 2020) By: Julie Ireton, CBC News An Ottawa paramedic arrives at the Laurier Manor in Ottawa on April 26. (Justin Tang/Canadian Press) Families, workers and health-care advocates are wondering how outbreaks in Ottawa’s long-term care homes continue to grow, despite the lessons learned during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’ve been really shocked […]

CBC Ottawa News October 07, 2020

(October 7, 2020) By: CBC Ottawa CBC interview with Ottawa Health Coalition’s Kevin Skerett starts at the 32:36 mark and lasts for about six minutes. Analysis Click here for original article

LETTER: privatizing essential public health care unlawful, says health coalition chair

(October 7, 2020) By: GuelphToday Staff, GuelphToday The Ontario Health Coalition is having a province-wide press conference and motorcade on Thursday, Oct. 8 at the corner of Oxford and Liverpool streets in Guelph at 11 a.m. close to Norfolk Manor Retirement Home to persuade our policymakers that privatizing essential health services is against the law. […]

Day of Action on long-term care set for Thursday

(October 7, 2020) By: Mark Brown, BlackburnNews The Ontario Health Coalition is calling on the provincial government to act on staffing issues in long-term care facilities. To ensure its concerns will be heard at Queens Park, the coalition will sponsor a Day of Action on Thursday, complete with vehicle parades and media conferences scheduled at […]

Health protest Thursday; Local briefs

(October 6, 2020) By: Sudbury Star (Print Edition) A health coalition is planning a series of protests – including one in Sudbury – to press for better care in Ontario’s longterm care homes. The Ontario Health Coalition said the Ford government needs to hire more staff, implement a minimum of four hours of hands-on care […]

Ontario Health Coalition To Join In On Province-Wide Day Of Action

(October 6, 2020) By: Heart FM The OHC will be going to multiple communities in Oxford County on Thursday, including Woodstock, to private long-term care homes. It is to draw attention to the fact that private long-term care homes do not do a good enough job taking care of seniors. OXFORD COUNTY – The Ontario […]

Save Our Seniors: Fix LTC! rally comes to Newmarket

(October 6, 2020) By: Kim Champion, New Market Today Newmarket and Aurora’s pan-partisan protest group Common Ground Coalition will join the Ontario Health Coalition’s day of action on Thursday, Oct. 8 to demand the Ford government act immediately to address challenges within the province’s long-term care facilities. Common Ground spokesperson Jon Aston said the coalition […]

Thursday rally at Oosterhoff’s office focused on long-term care

(October 6, 2020) By: Allan Benner, The Standard As COVID-19 outbreaks again increase at long-term care homes in Niagara and across the province, advocacy groups are renewing lobbying efforts for systemic changes they feel are needed to protect the residents of those facilities. Despite past outbreaks that claimed the lives of about 1,900 people across […]

Protests planned in Sudbury and across Ontario to call for increased staffing in LTC homes

(October 5, 2020) By: Sudbury.com NOTE: This story amended to include proper timing of event at 11 a.m. Thursday. Apologies for initial error- Len Gillis A province-wide protest is being planned for this Thursday in Sudbury and in communities across Ontario, calling on the province to resolve the staffing crisis in long-term care homes. The […]

London Health Coalition says government using pandemic to privitize healthcare in Ontario

(October 5, 2020) By: 980 CFPL The London Health Coalition is calling on the provincial government to change its approach to the spread of COVID-19, alleging the government is using the pandemic to privatize health care. Peter Bergmanis from the London Health Coalition joins Devon Peacock on the Morning Show to discuss. Click here for […]

EVENT: Day of Action on Long-Term Care

Updated as of October 5. PDF version can be found at the bottom of this post. Ontario Health Coalition UPDATED LIST BELOW Day of Action on Long-Term Care Thursday October 8 9:30 Queen’s Park & 11:00 Across Ontario** ** In keeping with the Toronto Chief Medical Officer of Health’s call this week to limit […]

Long-term care protest in Sudbury, across Ontario on Thursday

(October 4, 2020) By: Woodstock Sentinel Review A health coalition is planning a series of protests — including one in Sudbury — to press for better care in Ontario’s long-term care homes. The Ontario Health Coalition said the Ford government needs to hire more staff, implement a minimum of four hours of hands-on care for […]

Premiers Should Not Play Partisan Politics with Health Care; Concrete Commitments Needed From Provincial & Federal Governments

(October 1, 2020) By: Exchange Magazine Health Coalitions across Canada were pleased with Throne Speech promises to expand public health care to create a universal comprehensive public pharmacare program and to set national standards for long-term care. However, concrete commitments are conspicuously absent. As reported in the speech, more than 9,000 Canadians have died in […]

More than 15,000 surgeries postponed in eastern Ontario, Outaouais due to pandemic

(October 1, 2020) By: CBC News Staff, CBC News Hospitals in eastern Ontario and Outaouais are dealing with a lengthy backlog of surgical procedures that were either postponed or cancelled to free up space and staff amid the pandemic. About 14,000 elective surgeries were put on hold in hospitals in the Champlain local health network region. In the Outaouais, […]

More than 15,000 surgeries postponed in eastern Ontario, Outaouais due to pandemic

(October 1, 2020) By: CBCNews, Yahoo News Hospitals in eastern Ontario and Outaouais are dealing with a lengthy backlog of surgical procedures that were either postponed or cancelled to free up space and staff amid the pandemic. About 14,000 elective surgeries were put on hold in hospitals in the Champlain local health network region. In the Outaouais, 1,150 surgical […]

Advocates, province address wait times for COVID-19 testing

(October 1, 2020) By: Mike Aiken, Kenora Online The province is looking at new ways to improve testing for the coronavirus. With a second wave underway, testing and contact tracing has become even more important. Natalie Mehra of the Ontario health coalition says we should be seeing better turn-around times. “We had a lull. We […]

RELEASE & ANALYSIS: Health Coalition Calls for Government to Flow Urgently Needed Money to Hospitals and Long-Term Care; Staffing Announcements Far Less Than Other Provinces

(October 2, 2020) Toronto – Over the last week, the Ford government has rolled out a series of media announcements about health care funding and staffing. Today the Ontario Health Coalition issued the following statement to break down what has been announced, what it means, and whether it is enough. “Hospitals are reporting across Ontario […]

More than 15,000 surgeries postponed in eastern Ontario, Outaouais due to pandemic

(October 1, 2020) By: CBC News A file photo of health professionals in a hospital room. Hospitals in the eastern Ontario region are dealing with a massive backlog of surgical procedures. (Evan Mitsui/CBC) Hospitals in eastern Ontario and Outaouais are dealing with a lengthy backlog of surgical procedures that were either postponed or cancelled to free […]

Long-term care homes unprepared for second wave, local health advocate says

(September 30, 2020) By: Cathy Dobson, The Sarnia Journal The Ford government has done nothing to prepare Ontario’s long-term care homes for a second wave of COVID-19 infections, says the chairperson of the Sarnia Lambton Health Coalition. Shirley Roebuck said the second wave has arrived, yet the province isn’t taking action to avoid the devastation […]

‘A wave, or a tsunami’; Next round of COVID-19 will be bad – but how bad is up to Ontarians, Ford says

(September 29, 2020) By: Antonella Artuso, Toronto Sun Expect Ontario’s second wave of the coronavirus to be worse than the original, warns Premier Doug Ford. The province reported 700 new cases of COVID-19 Monday – a single-day record that surpassed numbers seen at the height of the lockdown in April. Ford said the “deeply concerning” […]

Ontario reports 700 new COVID-19 cases, nearly half in Toronto

(September 28, 2020) By: Antonella Artuso, Toronto Sun Expect Ontario’s second wave of the coronavirus to be worse than the original, warns Premier Doug Ford. The province reported 700 new cases of COVID-19 Monday — a single-day record that surpassed numbers seen at the height of the lockdown in April. Ford said the “deeply concerning” […]

RELEASE: Throne Speech: Premiers Should Not Play Partisan Politics with Health Care; Concrete Commitments Needed From Provincial & Federal Governments

(September 29, 2020) Health Coalitions across Canada were pleased with Throne Speech promises to expand public health care to create a universal comprehensive public pharmacare program and to set national standards for long-term care. However, concrete commitments are conspicuously absent. As reported in the speech, more than 9,000 Canadians have died in the last six […]

What caused the September surprise in testing? It’s complicated

(September 26, 2020) By: Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citzen The long lines and boiling frustration around COVID-19 testing centres in Ottawa have led many to ask why the province wasn’t prepared for a predictable September spike in demand. Like most questions involving Ontario’s multibillion-dollar health system, the answer is complicated. Not only has the worst pandemic […]

What caused the September surprise in testing? It’s complicated

(September 26, 2020) By: Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Sun The long lines and boiling frustration around COVID-19 testing centres in Ottawa have led many to ask why the province wasn’t prepared for a predictable September spike in demand. Like most questions involving Ontario’s multibillion-dollar health system, the answer is complicated. Not only has the worst pandemic […]

Health Coalition warns seniors’ infections on the rise again

(September 25, 2020) By: Renfrew Today While COVID-19 may be claiming new victims in the under 40 age group, the Ontario Health Coalition is cautioning Premier Ford not to take the situation in the Province’s longterm care homes for granted. Seniors were hardest hit in during the first wave of the virus, and numbers are […]

Layoff of nurses at Southlake, use of private clinics draw ire of health-care advocates

(September 24, 2020) By: Kim Champion, New Market Today Liberal MPP Michael Coteau today came out swinging against the Ford government during Question Period, accusing it of trying to privatize health care through the “back door” by suggesting payment to private medical clinics to help clear the surgery logjam created by the COVID-19 pandemic, a leaked […]

RELEASE & REPORT: Huge Jump in COVID-19 Cases in Schools and Child Care, Increase in Workplace Outbreaks: Health Coalition Releases Updated Tracking of the Virus Spread in Non-Health Care Industries

(September 25, 2020) Toronto – Since June, the Ontario Health Coalition has been tracking COVID-19 outbreaks in non-health care industries, adding to its regular updates on the spread of the virus in health care settings. Both sets of reports are available on the Coalition’s website here. In the most recent period (end of August to […]

‘It’s A Free Market Society’: Doug Ford Dismisses Concerns About Company Charging $400 For COVID-19 Tests

(September 23, 2020) By: PressProgress “Healthcare is not a free market in Canada, that flies against the principles of our society,” healthcare advocates say. Ontario Premier Doug Ford is dismissing concerns about possible price gouging from private healthcare companies reportedly charging Ontarians hundreds of dollars for COVID-19 tests, suggesting that’s just how capitalism works. During […]

RELEASE & BACKGROUNDER: Health Coalition Demands that Ford Government Stop Privatizing Health Care Under Cover of COVID-19: “There is no excuse not to use reopen & ramp up existing capacity in public system”, Coalition will do everything in its power to stop the undermining of public health care

(September 24, 2020) Toronto – The Health Coalition expressed deep concern about the Ford government’s privatization of health care services, the lack of a coherent plan for a second-wave of COVID-19, and cuts and layoffs at public hospitals while the government shifts funding to private companies for COVID-19 related services. On Monday, Premier Ford said, […]

RELEASE & REPORT: Rate of Increase in COVID-19 among Staff, Residents, and Patients in Ontario’s Health Care Settings More Than Doubled: Coalition Fears Second Wave in Long-Term Care

(September 23, 2020) Toronto- The Ontario Health Coalition released its most recent report detailing the COVID-19 outbreaks it has tracked from reliable sources in health care settings since the beginning of the pandemic. The OHC has tracked 90 currently active outbreaks, 33 of which started from the end of August. Ottawa has 11 outbreaks in […]

“Profit over people”: The business of Canada’s for-profit long-term care sector called into question

(September 21, 2020) By: Stephanie Hughes, Yahoo News Aaliyah* faced a lot of pressure and professional oversight working in an Extendicare long-term care home in the Toronto area over the past two years, but what she saw during the COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t compare. Amidst growing COVID-19 cases in April she describes a lack of communication from […]

RELEASE: Ford Government’s Failure to Release a Plan for COVID-19 Underscored by Alarming Spread of COVID-19 in Long-Term Care Homes in Ottawa, 11 Residents Have Died, Problems Apparent with Testing, Isolation, PPE: Ontario Health Coalition Calls for Province-Wide Protests

(September 22, 2020) In Ottawa, the alarming spread of COVID-19 in long-term care homes underscores the lack of a clear plan and action on the part of Ontario’s Ford government to address the issues that have been raised repeatedly. More than 100 residents have contracted COVID-19 in Ottawa’s long-term care homes in recent weeks. As […]

Feds ‘Urgently’ Need To Make Private Nursing Homes Public After COVID-19 Outbreaks

(September 18, 2020) By: Sherina Harris, HuffPost Canada Christine Collins’ brother Peter tested positive for COVID-19 less than a month after he was transferred from a hospital to Carlingview Manor in Ottawa. He was supposed to be in isolation upon arriving at the long-term care home, but on the dementia floor where he lived, residents wandered […]

Hamilton hospitals worry uptick of COVID-19 will disrupt elective cases again

(September 16, 2020) By: Joanna Frketich, The Hamilton Spectator Hamilton’s hospitals are watching Ontario’s uptick in COVID-19 cases with worry as they try to get through a massive backlog of postponed care. “We’re seeing increased cases in the community but we’re not seeing increased hospitalizations so far,” said Dr. Wes Stephen, chief operating officer of Hamilton Health […]

Ontario must address challenges in long-term care homes

(September 16, 2020) By: Wallaceburg Courier Press It is shocking, given the devastation of COVID-19 in our long-term care homes, but Ontario’s government has done little to address the critical staffing and care shortages. Even before COVID-19, across Ontario long-term care homes were critically short-staffed every shift, every day. Then the pandemic hit. Now the […]

FACT SHEET: Fact Sheet on Revera Inc. For-Profit Long-Term Care & Retirement Home Chain Owner

(September 16, 2020) October 3 Update: Information on what action can be taken to end for-profit long-term care and what you can do to help make Revera public, along with follow up to a virtual town hall meeting that took place on September 16, can be found below the fact sheet. Revera Fact Sheet Who […]

BRIEFING NOTE: COVID-19 in Long-Term Care Litigation & Legal Actions

(September 16, 2020) Click here for printable version of the briefing note found below. ——- There have been at least two dozen legal actions as a result of the conditions in long-term care and the responses to the spread of the virus, exposed during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, including filing […]

Lakeridge Health says it’s under extreme budget pressures

(September 11, 2020) By: Frazer Snowdon, Global News The healthcare network that represents five hospitals in the Durham Region says it is facing significant budget pressures upwards of a $9.6M deficit, according to an internal memo obtained by Global News. Lakeridge Health says they operated 80-100 more beds than they were funded for last year. […]

Lakeridge Health says it’s under extreme budget pressures

(September 10, 2020) By: Frazer Snowdon, Global News The healthcare network that represents five hospitals in the Durham Region says it is facing significant budget pressures upwards of a $9.6M deficit, according to an internal memo obtained by Global News. Lakeridge Health says they operated 80-100 more beds than they were funded for last year. […]

Ontario Health Coalition demanding more transparency from province on COVID-19 outbreaks

(September 10, 2020) By: Jonah Shinuda, InBrampton The Ontario Health Coalition, which has been tracking COVID-19 outbreaks since the beginning of the pandemic, is calling for the provincial government to be more transparent about outbreaks of the virus and improve public access to information. The Coalition says it released two new reports in which it highlighted important information that is either no longer […]

RESOURCES: List of Ontario COVID-19 Assessment Centres & Their Individual Criteria

(November 5, 2020) As of November 1, 2020- The Ontario Health Coalition has compiled this list from trusted media sources, hospital and public health websites, and by calling hospitals and assessment centres directly to confirm information. Please note things are changing rapidly. Different assessment centres have different criteria for access. Some do testing on site, […]

Lakeridge Health says it’s under extreme budget pressures

RELEASE: Victory for Patients Over Private Clinics in B.C. Court Challenge: Historic Victory Against Profit-Driven Health Care

(September 10, 2020) Toronto – A ten-year legal attack launched by one of the largest private for-profit surgical centres in Canada seeking to strike down key protections for single-tier health care has reached a critical juncture. Today a B.C. Court ruled on the case upholding the provisions in British Columbia law that protect our system […]

RELEASE & REPORT: Ford Government Must Be Transparent About COVID-19 Outbreaks, Improve Public Access to Information: Health Coalition Releases Updated Reports on Outbreaks in Health & Non-Health Sectors

(September 9, 2020) Toronto – The Ontario Health Coalition, which has been tracking COVID-19 outbreaks since the beginning of the pandemic, released two new reports today tracking the trends in outbreaks to the end of August in health care settings and in non-health care industries. The Coalition has highlighted in each report the information that […]

Is Ontario ready for a second wave of COVID-19?

(September 8, 2020) By: Joanna Frketich & Grant LaFleche, St. Catharines Standard “Disaster upon disaster” is how the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario describes long-term-care homes during the pandemic. “Nursing homes basically during COVID-19 for several months were abandoned,” said CEO Doris Grinspun. “Abandoned by government in very concrete ways.” Despite promises from the federal and provincial […]

Ford’s commission won’t get to the bottom of LTC scandal

(September 7, 2020) By: Keith Leslie, The Hamilton Spectator It’s clear Ontario needs a public inquiry to determine why governments did nothing substantive to address a chronic shortage of long-term care workers that existed long before COVID-19 killed over 1,850 residents and staff. We can’t depend on Premier Doug Ford’s commission of inquiry to dig […]

As we enter The Great Unknown, the second wave of COVID-19, is Canada better prepared than we were before?

(September 5, 2020) By: Sharon Kirkey, Calgary Herald One evening in mid-March, as a weird and eerie illness was making itself frighteningly real in northern Italy and New York City, Ontario hospitals were instructed to commence shutting down “non-emergent” procedures, in anticipation of a COVID-19 surge. Dr. Jonathan Irish is a cancer surgeon. He had five […]

Two-day time lag in reporting Hamilton COVID-19 data

(September 4, 2020) By: Joanna Frketich, The Hamilton Spectator COVID-19 data will now be two days behind when it’s reported to the public on the city’s website. Hamilton public health services is blaming the 48-hour lag on the transition to a new case and contact management (CCM) system that is mandated by the Ministry of […]

13 Windsor Regional Hospital staff caught COVID-19 in the community, not from patients

(September 4, 2020) By: Jackie Sharkey, Yahoo News So far, 13 Windsor Regional Hospital staff have caught COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic, but it was from community exposure — not inside the hospital, says administration. The staff infection rate was released Thursday night at the hospital’s monthly board meeting. It’s an update from […]