Minister abruptly ends news conference on report about COVID-19 in long-term care

Ontario’s Minister of Long-Term Care abruptly ended a news conference responding to a report by the Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission.

The report was delivered to Premier Doug Ford’s government on Friday night.

READ MORE: Scathing report on the province’s handling of COVID-19 in long-term care homes

It found years of neglect of the long-term care sector led to conditions where thousands of residents died of COVID-19 and said the sector needs sweeping reforms to update
infrastructure and change who operates the homes.

Merrilee Fullerton, the minister in charge of the portfolio, scheduled a news conference Monday at 10 a.m. to respond.

LTC minister @DrFullertonMPP now responding to last Friday’s report. Won’t apologize for any government failings but “we’re implementing the recommendations, some of them” she says. @CHCHNews

— Lisa Hepfner (@LisaHepfnerCHCH) May 3, 2021

After taking three questions, Fullerton left the news conference.

Fullerton was asked about the report during Question Period, which started at 10:30 a.m.

“As I’ve said many times, I take responsibility,” @DrFullertonMPP says. “That’s exactly what we’re doing… I understand the neglect in the LTC sector.”

— Lisa Hepfner (@LisaHepfnerCHCH) May 3, 2021

Watch Fullerton’s full news conference here.

Our Lisa Hepfer will have more on this story at 6 p.m.