Visits will be allowed to resume at long-term care and retirement homes as of today but at least one hard-hit facility will continue to be off-limits to loved ones after declaring another COVID-19 outbreak.
Visits were suspended at most homes back in March but last week Premier Doug Ford announced a “cautious restart” of visits at facilities that are not currently experiencing an outbreak.
Innis Ingram, who last month staged a hunger strike to draw attention to the conditions inside Camilla Care in Mississauga, had been among those planning a visit but on Thursday he told CP24 that the facility has declared another outbreak.
That means that he won’t be able to see his mother for at least another 14 days.
An earlier outbreak at Camilla Care killed 68 residents, prompting the province to take over management of the facility.
“I think overall family members will take what we can get. It has been so long that we just want to see our loved ones, although at Camilla Care another outbreak was declared yesterday. A staff member tested positive and a resident is symptomatic so it will be at least another 14 days before any kind of visits can happen,” he said.
As of today, residents at long-term care homes not experiencing outbreaks will be allowed one outdoor visit per week with a single visitor.
Visitors, however, will have to test negative for COVID-19 within the two weeks leading up to the visit and pass a symptom check upon arrival at the facility. They will also be required to wear a face covering at all times.
At retirement homes, the rules are little less strict.
Both outdoor and indoor visits will be permitted, including ones in resident suites. The maximum number of visitors will be left to the discretion of individuals homes.
There have been 335 outbreaks at Ontario’s 626 long-term care homes but only 72 of them are still considered active.
The number of active outbreaks at retirement homes, meanwhile, is down to 23. At one point there were 151 outbreaks.
