Thursday, June 25, 2020

COVID-19: Ford tells Trudeau 'put your money where your mouth is' on LTC aid; Provinces 'failed' seniors, PM says
Author of the article:Bruce Deachman
Publishing date:Jun 25, 2020
A new study shows Canada's proportion of long-term care deaths is double the rate of other nations BRIAN THOMPSON / Postmedia
What you need to know, at a glance

Premier Doug Ford tells Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to “put your money where your mouth is” on help for the province’s LTC institutions

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that “provinces have failed” in their handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic in long-term care facilities

PM hints that, although the facilities are provincial jurisdiction, the federal government might step in

“The federal government is committed to doing more, whether it be through regulations that could be applied countrywide or other measures.”

A report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information said the proportion of COVID-19 deaths in Canada’s long-term care facilities has been about twice that of other developed nations

Canada will provide grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 to student volunteers this summer

Additionally, the government will also spend $40 million to create new internships through Mitacs, a national not-for-profit that acts as a bridge between universities and businesses to deliver research and training programs

Ontario reported 189 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Thursday, for a total of 34,205 cases. There were also 10 new deaths for a total of 2,641

Ottawa reports just four new cases and no deaths in most recent report

Fairmont Château Laurier announced Thursday that the historic hotel will again host guests and visitors starting July 1

The prime minister was critical of a decision by Quebec to end daily release of COVID-19 updates. Quebec says that, after Thursday it will only publish COVID-19 statistics once a week

Quebec reported 142 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, with seven new deaths

Ontario Premier Doug Ford told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to “put your money where you mouth is,” after the PM said that provinces have failed seniors in their responses to the COVID-19 crisis.

The PM was referring to a report indicating that the Canada’s proportion of COVID-19-related deaths coming from long-term care facilities was almost twice as high as other developed nations.

“Help us out, we can’t do this alone,” Ford continued, before conceding that the prime minister has been supportive of Ontario during the crisis.

“But I’m a little shocked by his comment, to be frank with you. We’re supposed to be all in this together, let’s be all in this together.”

For went on to criticize the federal government’s health transfer payments to the provinces.

“Some provinces are getting as low as 18 per cent. We’re getting about 20 or 22 per cent. That’s not a partnership.

“I’m not knocking (Trudeau),” Ford added. “I might say a few things that are off-kilter, too, some days … but we need his help.”

The premier was also critical of the report outlining Canada’s response to the COVID-19 crisis in long-term care facilities, saying he feels that comparing the numbers of COVID-19-related deaths in Canada to those of other developed countries is “unfair.”

The report, issued by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, says that 81 per cent of COVID-19-related deaths in Canada occurred in long-term care facilities, almost double the proportion of 16 other developed countries.

“They’re comparing us to Spain,” Ford said. “They’re comparing 6,900 (deaths) in Canada to Spain, that has 18,000 deaths in long-term care?

“I just don’t think that’s fair.”

The province also announced on Thursday the 43 recipients of more than $13 million earmarked to support youth-led community projects intended to improve the well-being of children, youth, and families facing economic and social barriers.

The funding will come through the province’s Youth Opportunities Fund.

Ottawa-area recipients include:

L’Association des couturiers immigrants francophones d’Ottawa, which will receive $255,000 over three years to offer entrepreneurship training for low-income immigrant parents and newcomers in Vanier;

The Ethio-Eritrean Canadian Women Integration Network, which, through the Nepean, Rideau and Osgoode Community Resource Centre, will also receive $255,000 over three years, to support Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrant families, specifically mothers and women, to provide services and systems navigation to facilitate integration into the Canadian community, and;

The Bridge Co-Net Inc., which will receive $254,600 over three years to provide family and parenting services, as well as mentoring Black/Afro-diasporic newcomer parents, guardians and/or caregivers living in Ottawa.

Meanwhile, the Kingston health officials have declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Binh’s Nail and Spa salon. Clients and workers who were at the spa between June 12-24 are required to self-isolate and to get tested for the virus.

Ontario reported 189 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Thursday, for a total of 34,205 cases.

There were also 10 new deaths for a total of 2,641.

A total of 27,511 people were tested for the virus and the province said 86.3 per cent of all cases have been resolved.

Outbreaks continued at 52 long-term care type facilities, a drop of 10 from the previous day.

No new cases were reported in three rural health units in Eastern Ontario.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday that “provinces have failed” in their handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic in long-term care facilities, and that the government may have to intervene.

Responding to a report that highlights Canada’s high proportion of COVID-19-related deaths in long-term care facilities, Trudeau said he was “deeply concerned” and that “the job isn’t adequately being done.”

The provinces, he added, “have not taken adequate care of seniors.”

The federal government, Trudeau noted, has offered the provinces $14 billion to help.

“We hope the provinces will accept this funding and make the necessary changes.”
Trudeau hinted that, although the facilities fall under the provinces’ jurisdictions, the federal government might bring legislation forward to regulate long-term care facilities.

“We need to do better for seniors, and the federal government is committed to doing more, whether it be through regulations that could be applied countrywide or other measures. We will work with provinces to improve the situation.

“The federal government is happy to be there to help. We want to respect provincial jurisdictions, but I think we know that things need to change. Do we need national standards, or do the provinces just need to increase their standards significantly? These are conversations we can have with the premiers.”
When asked if his government might increase health-care transfer payments to the provinces, Trudeau said “I’m not going to negotiate in public.”

The proportion of COVID-19 deaths that have occurred in Canada’s long-term care facilities has been about twice that of other developed nations.

According to a report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, which looked at data up to May 25, residents of long-term care facilities made up 81 per cent of Canada’s reported COVID-19 deaths, compared to an average of 42 per cent among 17 countries studied.

The study looked at data from Canada and other nations in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. It notes that Canada’s total of 5,324 reported COVID-19 deaths in LTC facilities then was close to the average, but that numbers varied wildly, from just 28 deaths in Australia to 30,000 in the U.S., and more than 10,000 each in Italy, France, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Researchers cautioned that differences in how countries do testing and reporting, and how some define long-term care, were among the limitations that prevent some comparisons. Still, CIHI’s director of health systems analysis and emerging issues, Tracy Johnson, says the data offers valuable insight into problems many families, caregivers and residents have been trying to illustrate since the pandemic began.

Canada will provide grants to college and university students, as well as recent graduates, who choose to volunteer in their communities.

Part of a $9 billion package originally announced in April, the Canada Student Service Grant program will provide between $1,000 and $5,000 to student volunteers. The exact amount will depend on how many hours each works between June 18 and Sept. 15.

Additionally, the government will also spend $40 million to create new internships through Mitacs, a national not-for-profit that acts as a bridge between universities and businesses to deliver research and training programs.

“This is a good-news story,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in making the announcement on Thursday, “not just for the students who will be able to use their knowledge, but also for the business owners, and the future of our country.

“We need to make sure that our youth have the necessary tools to work to innovate to succeed.”

Trudeau also announced that the summer jobs program will add 10,000 job placements for students who are between 15 and 30 years old, and 20,000 additional positions for students through the Student Work Placement Program.

The prime minister said that emergency spending to help Canadians fight the pandemic was necessary to jumpstart an economic recovery. He was responding to questions about ratings agency Fitch’s downgrading of Canada’s rating from “AAA” to “AA+”.

As of Thursday, Canada had 102,242 confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which 64 per cent have recovered. There have been 8,484 deaths.

Local

Ottawa Public Health reports there have been four new cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday, with no new deaths. The totals now stand at 2,069 cases and 262 deaths.

About 85 per cent of the cases have been resolved, with 57 cases remaining “active.” Only one patient is in hospital and that person is in ICU.
There are seven outbreaks in effect in institutions.

Fairmont Château Laurier announced Thursday that the historic hotel will again host guests and visitors starting July 1.

“The hotel is an important member of the community, we are thrilled to welcome our guests and colleagues back to a healthy, COVID-19 free environment,” general manager Rick Corcoran said in a news release. “We are partnering with top experts to implement new standards of safety and enhanced operational protocols and procedures which are among the most stringent in the hospitality industry.”

The new standards for Fairmont Château Laurier and the rest of the Accor Hotels chain were vetted by a team of health and safety experts.

“Welcoming, safeguarding and taking care of others is at the very heart of what we do and who we are,” Corcoran said in a press release emphasizing new measures are in place to protect against COVID-19.

The hotel, which opened in June of 1912, closed March 21.

Meanwhile, the Ottawa Police Service has begun a staggered reopening of its buildings to the public Monday but says it’s still encouraging people to file reports or apply for a criminal records check online.

Quebec

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was critical Thursday of Quebec’s decision to discontinue the practice of releasing daily totals of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths.

“Every province makes its own decisions about how transparent it needs to be and how much it will provide data and information to its citizens,” he said.

“In Quebec, there are still very much a significant number of cases every single day; a significant number of deaths, unfortunately, every single day, and I certainly hope that Premier (François) Legault would continue to be transparent and open with Quebecers and, indeed, with all Canadians.”

Quebec says that, after Thursday it will only publish COVID-19 statistics once a week for the foreseeable future. Weekly reports will be issued every Thursday, starting July 2, the ministry said.
Health officials made the decision because of “the evolving epidemiological situation, which is stabilizing,” a spokesperson for the ministry told Postmedia via email. “The ministry will continue to monitor the situation closely and adjust the data dissemination strategy as necessary.”

The province reported 142 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, with seven new deaths. It was the first time in five days that the number of new cases was higher than 100.

Quebec now has 55,079 cases with 5,448 deaths. A total of 487 people are hospitalized.

The Outaouais reported three new cases, but no new deaths.

-With files by The Canadian Press and Postmedia

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