Newmarket long-term care home faces public health order during 4th COVID-19 outbreak

Southlake Residential Care Village, operated by Extendicare, ordered to comply or face $5,000 fine

Yorkregion.com
March 17, 2021
Kim Zarzour

A Newmarket long-term care home that is battling its fourth COVID-19 outbreak has been issued an order by the medical officer of health due to "inadequate staffing levels and insufficient infection prevention and control practices".

The order under the Health Protection and Promotion Act was issued March 16 by Dr. Karim Kurji to Extendicare, operators of the Southlake Residential Care Village.

The not-for-profit home, located on Grace Street next to Southlake Regional Health Centre had two residents and 10 staff diagnosed with COVID-19 as of 5 p.m. March 16, and has been in outbreak since March 8.

Kurji said he is of the opinion that there’s an immediate risk to the health of persons residing at in the 224-bed home

Information and inspections showed Southlake Village has inadequate staffing levels, inadequate senior leadership on the units at all times and inadequate or insufficient infection prevention and control knowledge to protect residents.

The home requires help from York Region Public Health, Southlake Regional Health Care, Public Health Ontario and the Local Health Integration Network to contain and stop the COVID-19 outbreak, Kurji said.

Among requirements under the order, operators of the home must comply with all direction related to the COVID-19 outbreak, ensure equipment, supplies, services or associated tools required to monitor, respond to and control the outbreak are acquired and disseminated to staff and residents, ensure the institution has sufficient staffing to respond to the outbreak, and ensure staff and all essential visitors are trained on point-of-care risk assessment and the appropriate use of PPE equipment.

Failure to comply could lead to, on conviction, a daily fine up to $5,000 for every day or part of each day on which the offence occurs or continues.