An inspection earlier this month at a long-term care home in Barrie where nearly all residents have now tested positive for COVID-19 found that the facility failed to follow proper protocols to keep residents safe, allowing rooms to be shared by both confirmed positive COVID-19 patients and those who had not yet tested positive for the virus.

In an inspection report dated January 18, 2021, an inspector with the Ministry of Long-term Care said they observed staff and resident cohorting protocols not being followed.

Following the inspection, which was conducted on Jan. 12 and Jan. 13, the Ministry of Long-term Care found that the “licensee has failed to ensure that the home was a safe and secure environment for its residents.”

“The inspector identified resident rooms that were shared by both confirmed COVID-19 positive residents and residents not confirmed to have COVID-19. A personal support worker (PSW) indicated that residents within these shared rooms would often come into close contact with each other,” the inspection report read.

“Certain staff were providing care to both confirmed COVID-19 positive residents and residents not confirmed to have COVID-19. The administrator indicated that cohorting of staff on all resident home areas was not always possible.”

The inspector also noted that the home did not strictly follow the directive to place all residents in isolation under droplet and contact precautions.

“All residents in the home were required to be in their room isolating under droplet and contact precautions at all times. Multiple residents were observed out of isolation, touching high-touch surfaces and coming in close contact with other residents. Some of these residents were identified as COVID-19 positive,” the report said.

“A registered practical nurse indicated that they tried to keep residents isolated but some residents refused to stay in their rooms.”

In total, 127 residents of the home and 84 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. Forty residents have now died following the outbreak.

Six cases of the more contagious B.1.1.7 variant, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, have been confirmed at the home.

On Saturday, Dr. Charles Gardner, the medical officer of health for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, said only two residents of Roberta Place have not tested positive for COVID-19 and he believes all of those who are infected have the variant.

When asked about the troubling inspection report and why the province hasn’t called in the military to help operate hard-hit long-term care homes, Premier Doug Ford said the Red Cross has been assisting at Roberta Place.

“We’ve asked the Red Cross that has been in there, that’s the support that we need. When I asked that question, I was told I should say that we don’t need them (members of the military),” Ford said at a news conference on Monday afternoon.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has already offered to send in members of the Canadian Armed Forces to some of the province’s long-term care homes that are struggling to contain outbreaks of the virus.

Premier Doug Ford initially suggested that he wouldn’t refuse the help but no military deployment has been announced.

Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said local hospitals are also helping staff at Roberta Place to manage the outbreak.

“There is support that is coming in in addition to whatever support Red Cross can offer. But the Royal Victoria Hospital as well as Soldier’s Memorial Hospital have been helping out because we now have an association between long-term care homes and hospitals that they are able to deploy personnel, bring in PPE, whatever else in necessary,” she said.

“And we have also had some vaccines go into this particular long-term care home to the residents that are able to receive them.”

Officials said when it comes to vaccinating residents in homes with an outbreak, they work to determine who has not been infected and administer first doses to those residents. A decision is later made about whether to administer the vaccine to those who have been infected after they have recovered from their illness.

Provincial officials confirmed Monday that the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has administered first doses of the vaccines at all long-term care homes in the region though as few as 35 residents at Roberta Place received a dose of the vaccine due to the outbreak at that facility.