THUNDER BAY - With long-term care homes in the province experiencing devastating impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, the provincial government says it is launching an independent commission to determine the failings that put so many at risk.
“It has been a very difficult period and losses have been far greater than anyone could have imagined,” said Premier Doug Ford during his daily media briefing on Wednesday. “The outbreak has highlighted the cracks in the system that have been there for years.”
Ford announced the launch of an independent commission into COVID-19 and long-term care that will investigate how the virus spread in these homes, how residents, staff, and families were impacted, and measures that can be taken to prevent future outbreaks.
“Despite our best efforts, COVID-19 was able to enter our long term care homes and many families were severely effected,” said Minister of Long-Term Care Merrilee Fullerton.
Throughout the course of the pandemic, more than 300 long-term care facilities experienced an outbreak of COVID-19 and there have been nearly 1,850 deaths.
As the number of outbreaks and deaths continued to mount, there were more and more calls for a public independent inquiry into the situation in long-term care.
“The people of Ontario deserve a timely, transparent, and non-partisan investigation,” Fullerton said. “The commission will have the full authority to conduct their hearings in public as they see fit.”
Three commissioners have been appointed and include associate chief justice, Frank Marrocco, who is serving as the chair, Angela Coke, a former senior executive with Ontario Public Service, and Dr. Jack Kitts, former president and CEO of the Ottawa Hospital.
The commission has the power compel persons to give or produce evidence, issuing summons, and holding public meetings.
“If there is a criminal act or act that requires reporting to police or authorities then that needs to go through the proper channels,” Fullerton said.
The opposition critic for the Attorney General, criticized the commission in a statement, saying the Ford government is failing to take immediate action to help long-term care residents, saying the scope is too narrow, that it is non-binding, and commission meetings can take place in private.
"Over 1,840 people have died in long-term care during this pandemic. Those are our parents, our grandparents and the builders of this province. The first thing the Ford government must do is immediately fix the things we already know are wrong to give those in care better quality of life, and better protection,” said Gurratan Singh.
"We need to hire thousands of PSWs, make their jobs full time, and pay them better. We need to have a legislated minimum standard staffing level of four hours of hands on care per day per resident. We need more staff training, and the end of the use of temp agencies to staff care homes.”
The commission will deliver a final report by April 30, 2021 and Fullerton said the findings will be made public.
