Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the province's minister of long-term care is attempting to downplay the COVID-19 crisis in long-term care homes after Minister Merrilee Fullerton accused the official opposition of spreading "misinformation."

Fullerton, Ontario’s minister of long-term care, told reporters Tuesday that the NDP was using “misinformation” to stoke fear and anxiety in staff and residents of long-term care homes in the province.

“If we look at the actual numbers of outbreaks across Ontario, there is a much smaller number of homes that actually have resident cases and from there, a much smaller number of homes that actually have a serious outbreak. And that is where the energy is going to make sure we shore up these homes,” she said at a news conference on Tuesday.

“I'm in constant contact with the medical officers of health and I'm in constant contact with the hospital leadership. We have regular calls. We know what is accurate on the ground.”

According to the latest data released by the Ministry of Long-term Care, there are 254 active outbreaks of COVID-19 in Ontario long-term care homes, representing approximately 40 per cent of all long-term care facilities in the province. An estimated 145 active outbreaks involve staff cases only.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Fullerton made reference to “misinformation” that the opposition has been floating about the situation in long-term care, but didn’t elaborate about what falsehoods she thinks are being circulated.

“I'll just say how disgusting it is to see the opposition, the NDP, Andrea Horwath, using misinformation to create anxiety and fear amongst staff in long-term care homes and also for the residents and families,” she said.

“They have enough worry. We are working and focused on solutions, and we must make sure that information is accurate. It is a responsibility of all of us here to do that.”

She said the province has been moving at “lightning speed” when it comes to vaccinating residents with doses administered to 83,000 people at 263 long-term care homes so far.

“I'm very disgusted to see the misinformation that has been going out.”

In response to Fullerton's comments on Tuesday, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath accused the minister of “downplaying the crisis.”

“3,200 long-term care residents have died,” she tweeted. “What’s ‘disgusting’ is Minister Fullerton downplaying this crisis. I want the helping hands of Canadian Armed Forces members sent into hard-hit homes to ease the struggle without delay.”

As of Jan. 18, the most recent data available on the Ministry of Long-term Care’s website, there were 1,488 active COVID-19 infections among residents of long-term care homes in the province and 1,241 among staff. The number of active infections among residents hit a second-wave peak of 1,650 on Jan. 14.

Of the homes that do currently have cases among residents, two facilities are reporting nearly 80 active resident infections.

The ministry says 79 residents at Toronto long-term care home Cedarvale Terrace are currently infected with the virus along with 78 residents of Extendicare’s facility in St. Catharine’s.

At Maple Manor Nursing Home, a 107-bed long-term care home in Tillsonburg, 46 out of the 107 residents at that facility are infected and at Niagara Long-Term Care Residence, a 124-bed facility in Niagara-on-the-Lake, there are 51 active resident cases.

Roberta Place in Barrie, where the Red Cross has recently been deployed, is reporting at least 63 active resident infections, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed to CTV News on Monday.

According to data released by the Ministry of Long-term Care, between Jan. 12 and Jan. 18, there were 150 virus-related deaths involving residents of long-term care and there have now been a total of 3,179 long-term care residents in the province who have died after becoming infected with the novel coronavirus.

The province has vowed to protect those in long-term care by rapidly distributing COVID-19 vaccines to all facilities in Ontario by the middle of next month.

Ret. Gen. Rick Hillier, the chair of Ontario’s vaccine task force, said Tuesday that despite vaccine shipment delays from Pfizer, the province is still on track to administer the first doses of the vaccine to all long-term care residents by Feb. 15.

During a news conference this morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the situation in long-term care homes “unacceptable.”

“I think of the tragic and unacceptable situation in long-term care facilities in Ontario and across the country. Our parents and grandparents deserve better. Our nurses deserve better. So to the residents, we are doing everything we can to get you your vaccine as quickly as possible,” he said.

Premier Doug Ford confirmed last week that the prime minister has offered to send in the military to help operate some of the province’s hardest hit long-term care homes, but the Ford government has yet to announce any military deployments.

In response to Trudeau’s comments on Tuesday, Ford said the prime minister should “focus on getting these vaccines.”

“It is easy to point fingers,” Ford said at a news conference at Queen’s Park. “I’ll focus on long-term care, prime minister you focus on getting these vaccines and everything is hunky dory here.”