COVID-19 death toll at Toronto long-term care home reaches 64

A man protests outside the Tendercare Living Centre long-term-care facility during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scarborough, Ont., on Tuesday, December 29, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Text:

Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Journalist

Published Monday, January 4, 2021 9:19PM EST
Last Updated Monday, January 4, 2021 9:25PM EST

The death toll related to a COVID-19 outbreak at a long-term care facility in Scarborough, Ont. has climbed to 64.

North York General Hospital (NYGH) took over control of Tendercare Living Centre on Christmas Day and confirmed the news in a press release issued Monday evening.

“Since yesterday, we are sad to report that two residents have passed away from COVID-19,” a spokesperson for NYGH said. “Our deepest sympathies are with the families and friends of those who have lost their lives to this devastating virus.”

The outbreak was first declared on Dec. 9 and at one point, roughly half of the residents of the 256-bed facility tested positive for COVID-19 with at least 121 confirmed cases.

Since then, the hospital says there are 59 active cases in the home, with nearly 120 cases between residents and staff members now considered to be resolved.

Plagued by staffing shortages early on in the outbreak, a spokesperson for Minister of Long-Term Care Merrilee Fullerton said Sunday that staffing at Tendercare is now above levels seen during normal operations for personal support workers and registered staff.

Meanwhile, NYGH says that it is working with Toronto Public Health to secure COVID-19 vaccinations for residents and staff members. It’s unclear when exactly those vaccinations will take place, but the hospital said it will be providing more details in the coming days.