Ontario reports 568 new COVID-19 cases, bringing provincial total to 10,578
CBC News | Posted: April 19, 2020 1:35 PM | Last Updated: April 19, 2020
112 long-term care homes have outbreaks, Ontario government says
Ontario reported 568 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday morning, bringing the provincial total to 10,578. The number includes 30 cases which were not included in the previous day's total because Toronto Public Health had technical issues feeding in data.
A total of 553 people have died from the virus, 240 of which are residents in long-term care homes, according to the provincial health ministry.
CBC News, however, has collected data from regional public health units and counted 598 deaths in Ontario as of Sunday afternoon. The number is an increase of 25 from Saturday evening. Two of the deaths counted by CBC News include two health-care workers.
The province said 112 long-term care homes now have outbreaks, four more than on Saturday.
Of the people with COVID-19:
- 809 have been hospitalized.
- 247 are in intensive care, with 196 on a ventilator — one fewer than the previous day.
Health-care workers make up around 11 per cent of total cases since January. Nearly half the people who contracted the virus in Ontario have recovered.
8 die in Halton retirement home, 1 dead in Peel care home
Meanwhile, eight people have died of COVID-19 at a retirement home in the Halton region and one person has died at a Peel long-term care home, as Ontario continues to grapple with long-term care deaths across the province.
There are now 63 residents and 18 staff with the virus at Mountainview Retirement Residence, while some are still waiting for test results, according to Halton Region Public Health.
An outbreak was first declared at the Georgetown home on March 31.
"As the situation evolved, Halton Region Public Health investigated and determined that the outbreak may have been more widespread than initially determined," the public health unit said in a statement.
All staff and residents were tested, and there were "additional measures" to isolate confirmed cases and people most at risk, the statement said.
Public health said most of the patients are asymptomatic and "have been isolated."
Peel Manor Long Term Care Centre, meanwhile, has reported one death, according to Nando Iannicca, chair of Peel Regional Council.
"This incredibly sad situation has happened despite the united efforts of many," Iannicca said in a statement on Saturday. "For this, we feel the most painful remorse."
112 long-term care homes now have outbreaks
As of Sunday, 112 long-term care homes in Ontario are grappling with COVID-19 outbreaks.
Four long-term care homes in Ontario have reported more than 20 deaths each:
- Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon: 29 deaths.
- Eatonville Care Centre in Toronto: 33 deaths.
- Anson Place Care Centre in Hagersville. 23 deaths.
- Seven Oaks in Toronto: 22 deaths.
One health-care union has asked the province to take over operations at three long-term care homes in Ontario, where a combined total of 55 residents have died of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, a separate union — the Ontario Nurses' Association — has filed a court order against the same three homes.
As COVID-19 deaths mount in long-term care homes, some families have been demanding more timely information
New modelling coming Monday
While long-term care homes see more deaths, Dr. David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer, has said he thinks that cases in the general community have peaked.
Ontario will share revised, updated modelling projections about the course of the virus on Monday.
"We're looking forward to hearing that to see how well have we done, where are we projecting now, what should be our focus now," said Williams at a news conference on Saturday.
"Ontarians are going to hear that in some aspects we've done well so far."
Health centre opening tent for medical care in Scarborough
In Scarborough, one health centre said in a statement on Friday that it plans to set up an outdoor tent early this week for people in the community to get direct medical care.
The Canadian Centre for Refugee and Immigrant Healthcare said its tent clinic will act as an alternative primary care room, offering a safer environment for patients and providers, children, newborns, vaccines for infants, acute and chronic problems.
The tent would take "health care outdoors as inside spaces and air becomes contaminated and infectious quickly."
People have limited access to doctors' offices during the pandemic and not everyone has phone access, says the centre, which operates medical and dental clinics for new Canadians,
The centre says the tent will have safety and infection control in place.
Toronto launches physical distancing reporting system
The city of Toronto has launched an online system for residents to report on others who are not physical distancing
The city said the form should only be for reporting the following:
- Businesses not enforcing physical distancing.
- Individuals not adhering to physical distancing on private property (e.g. parties) or City of Toronto property.
- Organized public gatherings of more than five people.
Owner of 2 care homes responds to allegations
The Ontario Nurses' Association has filed a court injunction against three long-term care homes and their owner, asking them to comply with provincial infection control and health standards.
Anson Place Care Centre in Hagersville, Eatonville Care Centre in Etobicoke, and Hawthorne Place Care Centre in North York are all named in court filings. The homes have a collective total of 55 deaths — 23 in Anson Place, 31 in Eatonveille and one in Hawthorne.
Those homes are all owned by Rykka Care Centres, which is an operating partner of Responsive Group. In a statement, Responsive Group said the homes have "tremendous" relationships with their local public health units, and have been following their directions and precautionary measures.
Separately, the Services Employees International Union wants the government to take over the same three long-term care homes. The union president says Eatonville and Anson Place were especially poor in their handling of the pandemic, describing it as reckless and careless.
When asked if Ontario would follow the lead of other provinces like Quebec, Alberta and B.C., and take over operations of some homes, Minister of Long-Term Care Merilee Fullerton said Ontario does not manage homes, but are working to ensure at-risk homes get the support they need."