TORONTO -- An outbreak of COVID-19 at a Toronto long-term care home has resulted in more than 100 residents and 50 staff members testing positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Revera, the operator of Westside Long Term Care Home, which is located on Albion Road in Rexdale, said an outbreak was confirmed at the facility on Nov. 12 and since that time, a total of 117 infections have been confirmed among residents and 57 cases have been reported among staff.
Twelve residents have died since the start of the outbreak, Revera confirmed.
In a statement released on Friday, the operator said there are currently 84 active cases involving residents and 49 among staff.
"The staff members are in self-isolation at home," Revera said in a written statement.
"We offer our most sincere condolences to the families and friends of the people we have lost to the pandemic. We are working very closely with public health officials and are following pandemic outbreak protocols and infection control practices."
The company said all staff are screened at the beginning and end of their shifts and residents are monitored twice daily for symptoms.
“Enhanced cleaning is being done at Westside. We are frequently disinfecting high touch surfaces like handrails and doors, resident rooms, common areas and staff rooms,” the statement continued.
“One on one recreation activities will be continued to maintain social engagement during this period of isolation. We are keeping the residents, their families and the staff up to date on the status of the outbreak.”
The majority of COVID-19 related deaths in the province have involved residents of long-term care.
To date, 2,370 long-term care residents have died after contracting COVID-19.
The province has reported a total of 3,757 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
The province has promised that when a vaccine arrives in Canada early next year, long-term care home residents will be among the first people to be inoculated.
