Summary
Today, Premier Ford, Minister Fullerton, and Minister Elliott announced our government is investing close $540 million to protect residents, caregivers, and staff in long-term care homes from future surges and waves of COVID-19. The COVID-19: Long-Term Care Preparedness Plan outlines the actions our government is taking to support the long-term care sector’s readiness to continue to respond to the pandemic.
Key Messages
- Our government is committed to taking every step to protect long-term care residents, staff, and visitors.
- COVID-19 demands a culture of continuous learning: the more we learn, the better we can plan and prepare for potential future waves. We are committed to applying what we have learned during this outbreak to build and strengthen the long-term care sector.
- We are committed to building a system that works in the best interest of residents and the people who work so hard to keep them safe.
- Ontario is investing close to $540 million in preparedness funding for the long-term care sector, which includes:
- $405M for COVID-19 prevention and containment measures
- $61.4M for minor capital and renovations in homes that will improve infection prevention and control
- $40M in one-time operating support for LTC homes experiencing reduced occupancy due to COVID-19
- $30 million in infection prevention and control staffing – $20 million for personnel and $10 million to fund training for new and existing staff
- $2.8M to extend the High Wage Transition Fund
- The plan is just one part of Ontario’s three-pronged strategy for addressing COVID-19 in long-term care homes, along with:
- emergency response – invoking measures outlined in the COVID-19 Action Plan in response to continued outbreaks
- modernization – building a 21st century, long-term care system that addresses long-standing systemic challenges and leads to infrastructure that supports a safe, high quality of life for residents in long-term care
- COVID-19 demands a culture of continuous learning: the more we learn, the better we can plan and prepare for potential future waves. We are committed to applying what we have learned during this outbreak to build and strengthen the long-term care sector.
- We are committed to building a system that works in the best interest of residents and the people who work so hard to keep them safe.