Millions of Canadians now get emergency funds

TRENTON, Canada

Nearly 5.4 million Canadians as of Monday are now receiving emergency aid of $2,000 a month under the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

But the toll taken by the coronavirus pandemic continues to rise, with more than 24,000 cases reported Monday and 735 deaths.

Particularly hard hit are senior’s residences and long-term care nursing homes. Officials disclosed Monday that nearly half the COVID-19 deaths are elderly being cared for in nursing homes.

“Of the cases where we have the data on whether someone was in a long-term care facility or senior’s residence, we know that close to half of the deaths that we’re tracking are linked to long-term care facilities,” Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said at a press conference on Monday.

In the province of Quebec, 31 residents died in a senior’s home since mid-March.

The residents were in bad shape – most of the staff had abandoned the home where 150 seniors lived and it was a few days before health officials discovered the situation. When health officials went into the home, they found the situation “dire.”

It is now under police investigation but it will take time to come to a conclusion, said Inspector Andre Durocher of the Montreal police.

“There’s a lot at stake when there are families that have lost their loved ones, that are concerned about what happened to them, so we really have to take the time,” he said.

Public health officials are now inspecting all private long-term care facilities in the province.

In Ontario, a state of emergency was declared at a home for disabled and developmentally delayed in a facility in Markham, a short distance north of Toronto.

Dozens of staff walked away Thursday when they were told that 10 residents and two staff had tested positive for the virus.

Markham Mayor Frank Scapitti declared a state of emergency and called for donations of protective gear and support workers. There were shortages of the equipment at the home.

Federal health officials released a new interim infection prevention and control guidance for long-term care homes. Included are measures such as nursing home administrators restricting visitors and screen staff for symptoms before they enter the facility to work.