|
Newsletter
|
Donate
181 outbreaks, 89 resident deaths reported in healthcare settings in six weeks
Posted: November 5, 2020
(November 4, 2020)
By: Clarrie Feinstein, Daily Hive News Toronto
In a six-week period, there have been 181 outbreaks and 89 residents deaths in healthcare settings, according to the Ontario Health Coalition.
On Wednesday, the coalition said the spread of the virus in long-term care, retirement homes, and hospitals is growing “at an alarming rate.”
Tracking it from September 18 to October 28, they have reported 97 active outbreaks in long-term care homes, which is more than double the number of active long-term care home outbreaks found on September 18.
There are also 32 active outbreaks in hospitals and 64 active outbreaks in retirement homes.
And as of October 28, there were 33 active outbreaks in health care settings that we classified as “large” meaning 10 cases or more.
The OHC reports that 15 outbreaks were in long-term care, 10 in retirement homes, five in hospitals, and three in other health congregate care settings.
They also said that cases increased by 13.1% in those six weeks which is more than three times the rate of increase the previous four weeks.
The rate of increase among patients and residents that have been infected by COVID-19 in health and congregate care settings has also grown.
The coalition notes that by October 28, 8,149 patients and residents contracted the virus — an increase of 959 or 11.8%.
When it comes to staff, an increase of 832 contracted the virus in six weeks.
And when analyzing deaths, the OHC reported that 88 more residents died.
“The Coalition remains deeply disappointed with the Ford government’s failure to do anything substantive to address the staffing emergency in long-term care homes, to make them more resilient when the virus hits. They report hearing increasing numbers of stories from families of residents who are severely malnourished and dying of dehydration and lack of care,” the release adds.
“Families are once again shut out and residents are isolated in homes where staff, already scarce, are getting sick in alarming numbers. Residents are still being left with COVID-19 and woefully inadequate care, without hospitalization to get them care, even be it oxygen and comfort measures.”
There are a total of 79,692 confirmed cases of coronavirus reported to date in Ontario with 68,189 recovered and 3,182 deaths.
