Ontario to conduct review on long-term care home system post-pandemic

Ontario’s minister of long-term care says a review will be conducted on the province’s long-term care system following the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a tweet posted Thursday morning, Minister Merrilee Fullerton called the system “broken” and said her heart breaks for the lives lost during the outbreak.

“Long-term care has endured years of neglect. Once we emerge from this pandemic, we will get to the bottom of this. Yes, there will be a review,” wrote Fullerton.

My heart breaks for the lives lost as a result of this pandemic. Our gov has been clear: the system is broken. Long-term care has endured years of neglect. Once we emerge from this pandemic, we will get to the bottom of this. Yes, there will be a review.

— Merrilee Fullerton, MPP (@DrFullertonMPP) May 7, 2020

She didn’t specify what type of review would be conducted but said “all forms of review are on the table.”

Fullerton said the province’s priority since day one of the pandemic has been protecting the health and safety of all Ontarians and that includes the most vulnerable members of our society.

“There will come a time to discuss the scale, scope, and terms of a review, but our priority today must be to protect people’s lives and continue to bend the curve,” she wrote.

There have been COVID-19 outbreaks declared at 225 long-term care homes in Ontario. At least 681 deaths have been reported which include both residents and long-term care staff.