NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO NDP
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Guy Bourgouin, NDP MPP for Mushkegowuk-James Bay wrote an open letter to Doug Ford calling for emergency help to stop the spread of COVID-19 at Extendicare Kapuskasing and the community. Bourgouin is calling on the Ford government to take over the management of the nursing home saying the situation requires extraordinary measures on the part of the province, including the deployment of the Ontario Red Cross or the Canadian Armed Forces.
February 5, 2021
Hon. Doug Ford
Premier of Ontario
Room 281, Queen's Park
Toronto, ON M7A 1A1
RE: COVID-19 Outbreak at Extendicare Kapuskasing Nursing Home
Premier Ford,
I am writing today to formally request that you authorize MLTC to take over Extendicare Kapuskasing nursing home.
As of Feb. 4 at 11 a.m.,11 members of the community have died as a result of the outbreak – that is, roughly 20 per cent of the residents at the beginning of the outbreak. Additionally, there are 31 active cases (for a total of 47) among residents and 15 active cases (for a total of 20) among staff. My office has also been informed that a staff member is currently critical care at a regional hospital.
The COVID-19 outbreak at the Extendicare Kapuskasing home has taken new proportions last night as Porcupine Health Unit confirmed a “first positive screen for a potential COVID-19 variant of concern” at the home. As a result, residents, families, staff members and the community as a whole are desperately demanding an aggressive, all-hands-on-deck approach to bring the Extendicare Kapuskasing outbreak under control.
While local health partners and frontline workers have done the impossible to keep everyone safe and to provide the best possible care to residents, this extraordinary situation calls for extraordinary measures.
I am therefore requesting that the Ontario government immediately take over the management of Extendicare Kapuskasing nursing home and provide all of the necessary resources to the local health partners.
In my letter dated Jan. 21, I clearly indicated the need for proactive measures and that I had personally contacted the Ontario Red Cross to query about their potential deployment.
Allow me to reiterate that the situation requires extraordinary measures on the part of the province – whether that includes the deployment of the Ontario Red Cross or the Canadian Armed Forces.
Thank you in advance for your time. I anxiously await your response.
Sincerely,
(Original Signed)
Guy Bourgouin
MPP/député, Mushkegowuk-James Bay/Baie James
Cc: Hon. Christine Elliott, Minister of Health
Hon. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care
Dr. Lianne Catton, Medical Officer of Health, Porcupine Health Unit
Ms. France Dallaire, Chief Executive Officer, Sensenbrenner Hospital
MPP Sarah Singh, Opposition Critic for Long-Term Care
MPP France Gélinas, Opposition Critic for Health
Ms. Claudette Brouzes, Administrator, Extendicare Kapuskasing
Mr. Dave Plourde, Mayor, Town of Kapuskasing
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