Woodbridge LTC home to be managed by Mackenzie Health to curb COVID-19 outbreak

680news.com
Jan. 19, 2021
Michael Ranger

A long-term care home in Vaughan and a local hospital in Richmond Hill have agreed to a voluntary management contract.

According to the province the Ministry of Long-Term Care has approved the contract that will see Mackenzie Health provide enhanced support to Villa Leonardo Gambin in Woodbridge. The home is licensed under Friuli Long Term Care.

The agreement has been put in place to help address a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility. The contract is for 90 days but can be extended beyond the term if deemed necessary.

The province says there are 15 confirmed COVID-19 cases among residents and 13 among staff. Twenty-one residents from the home have died in the current outbreak

“Protecting our long-term care residents is our top priority and we are doing everything we can to keep them safe,” said Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care. “I thank the dedicated staff at Mackenzie Health and Villa Leonardo Gambin for working together to stop the COVID-19 outbreak in this long-term care home.”

To date, the Ministry of Long-Term Care has issued seven management orders and approved 27 voluntary management contracts between Ontario hospitals and long-term care homes.

The province reported 127 new cases and 14 deaths from long-term care home residents on Monday as well as 52 new cases among long-term care home staff.

The Canadian Red Cross was recently deployed to a long-term care home in Barrie after a massive COVID-19 outbreak at that facility.

The facility is home to 122 residents and says there are currently 62 residents and 43 staff members that have confirmed cases of COVID-19. Nine residents have died at the home as a result of the virus.

Ontario became the latest province to adjust its vaccination rollout plans in light of the Pfizer announcement that the drugmaker would be reducing deliveries.

Long-term care residents, caregivers and staff who already received their first dose of Pfizer’s vaccine will get their second dose between 21 and 27 days later, no more than a week beyond what was originally planned.

Dr. David Williams, the province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, issued a statement on Saturday saying officials do not yet know the full impact the delay will have on Ontario’s immunization strategy.

“We understand that this change in supply could see deliveries reduced by at least half for Canada in the coming weeks,” Williams said in a statement Saturday. “We will assess and take appropriate action to ensure we can continue providing our most vulnerable with vaccines.”