8 residents at Ancaster nursing home have died amid COVID-19 outbreak that has infected 59

Eight people living at an Ancaster nursing home who had COVID-19 have now died.

The outbreak of the virus at Willowgrove Long Term Care has infected 37 residents, 21 staff members and one essential caregiver, according to Chartwell, the company that runs the home.

"We know this is .... difficult news for our staff and community of family members," wrote spokesperson Janine Reed in an email, adding Chartwell is extending its "thoughts and prayers" to the loved ones of those who have died.

Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas MPP Sandy Shaw, the finance critic for the NDP, pointed to the outbreak at the home as evidence of failure by the provincial government to protect seniors and other vulnerable populations.

"The ongoing tragedy we are witnessing at Willowgrove, and in long-term care homes across the province, is claiming the lives of seniors who were promised they would be protected during the second wave of the pandemic," she said in a statement.

"More Ontarians are dying, and more families must endure the devastating pain and grief of losing a parent or grandparent."

Shaw took aim at the government's budget, saying more personal support workers should have been hired and more funding is needed to control outbreaks.

The budget, which was released last week, was criticized by the NDP and Canadian Association of Retired Persons for lacking details around the cost of a government pledge to work toward four hours of direct care for every long-term care resident in Ontario by 2025.

Asked about the omission, Premier Doug Ford insisted the province is "totally committed" to the new standard but said it needs to consult with stakeholders before providing more details.

Home says it has enough staff

Reed said Willowgrove continues to work with the LHIN and Hamilton Public Health to manage the outbreak.

The home is following "heightened infection control protocols," screening and safety measures including PPE to reduce potential spread, she said.

"We are encouraged to report that 15 residents and 9 staff members have since been declared COVID free," wrote Reed. "We are pleased to report that 7 staff members have returned to work and we continue to have sufficient staffing levels."

Hamilton sees 33 new cases

There are 374 active cases of COVID-19 in Hamilton as public health said 59 people who had the virus have died.

The most-recent death was a man in his early 90s at the Village of Wentworth Heights who died on Nov. 10, according to public health.

The city has reported 2,295 cases throughout the pandemic as of Thursday, an increase of 33 compared to the day before.

Of those, 1,860 (81 per cent) are recovered.

The numbers provided by the city online are based on data provided to public health as of 3 p.m. the day before.

St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton said it was caring for eight people with COVID-19, while Hamilton Health Sciences said 12 people with the virus were in its hospital.

Halton

Nine new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Burlington Thursday.

The city has seen 714 cases throughout the pandemic and 15 deaths.

Overall, Halton has recorded 2,770 cases. Of those, 485 are active and 2,242 are resolved.

43 people with the virus have died.

Brant

Brant County, including Brantford, has tallied 357 cases of the virus so far.

There were 67 active cases Thursday, while 285 were resolved.

One person was hospitalized, while five people infected with COVID-19 have died.

Six Nations

There were no active cases of COVID-19 on Six Nations of the Grand River territory as of Nov. 9.

Six Nations has recorded 94 cases so far. One person has died.

Haldimand-Norfolk

New cases of COVID-19 have continued to appear in Haldimand and Norfolk.

The counties had 23 active cases as of Thursday.

They've seen 576 positive cases, including 516 which are recovered.

Thirty-two deaths are considered COVID-19 related.

An outbreak at Schuyler Farms near Simcoe has infected 10 migrant workers.

Those cases are connected to five cohorts on the farm, said farmer Brett Schuyler.

About 180 employees have tested negative for the virus, according to Schuyler.

Roughly half of his workforce is in self-isolation while the other half is in "work-home isolation," meaning they go out to do their work then return to bunkhouses afterwards, he said.

"We're not out of this by any means," said Schuyler, but added he's thankful there haven't been any hospitalizations.

Niagara

Niagara Region's acting medical officer of health is requiring restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries to ask patrons whether or not they have symptoms of COVID-19 as part of "targeted measures" aimed at stopping the spread of the virus in social situations.

Data from public health shows at total of 1,764 cases during the pandemic. Of those, 268 were active as of and 1,418 resolved as of Thursday.

Seventy-eight people have died and 14 outbreaks are ongoing.